Fighting Against the Darkness
by whotookmycheese
Summary: After the death of the Master it's not so easy for Rose to move on with her life with the Doctor. Will their relationship carry through the storms or will the ghost of the Master step between them? Especially with a new friend on aborad and the darkness approaching? Sequel to Sound of the Heartbeats. Season 4 re-write.
1. All Focused on Snogging

**A/N:** So. I've been hovering whether to publish this or not but then I thought that why not. I wanted this to focus more to the relationship between Rose and the Doctor than to the adventures, but there's still gonna be some of those adventures. Not all of them, so sorry if I skip your favorite! Anyway. In the beginning there's going to be those that you already know. Please read and review!

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Doctor Who or the characters or most of the plotlines, I'm just gonna have fun with them!

 **All Focused on Snogging**

His smile sealed it, she felt his relief and joy and lust, turned over and kissed him. He answered to it with all he got, lifting her up and she wondered whether they had time to get into the bedroom. The TARDIS started to shake, it felt like it rolled and rounded every direction possible and even those which werent possible. She and the Doctor were knocked on the door and it felt like it happened several times in a row before the Doctor got a proper grap of the console and pulled himself up, pulling a leveler.

"What's up with you?" he asked from the TARDIS. "Are you okay Rose?"

"Yeah, fine", she answered, rubbing the back of her head as she stood up. "What happened?"

"I could ask the same question", the Doctor said, knocking the TARDIS console. "What's your problem?" he asked from the sealing. Rose looked around and her eyes hit on a man in a cream colored coat, a summer hat men used to wear in 20's and a... was that a celery?

"Um... Doctor", she said, pointing at the man.

"Wait a mo, Rose", the Doctor said.

"I'm rather busy at the moment, if you please", the man said. Rose's eyebrows raised. Oh. The men moved around the console, bumped into each other, appologized and moved on. Then they stopped.

"What?" the Doctor said.

"Yeah," Rose said at the same time the man in a cellerycoat said. "What?"

"What!"

Rose raised a hand on her mouth to hide a giggle.

"Who are you?"

"Oh, brilliant", the Doctor said. "I mean, totally wrong, bit emergency, universe goes bang in five minutes but, brilliant! Rose, may I introduce -."

"I kinda figured it out myself", Rose said behind her hand.

"I'm the Doctor, who are you?" the other Doctor said, looking from the Doctor to Rose, who still tried not to laugh. Well blimey, he had been blonde. And weared a cellery in the place of a rose.

"Yes you are, you are the Doctor", the Doctor said a big grin on his face. "He's the Doctor", he said to Rose a fanboy grin on his face. That cracked Rose up and she brust out laughing. Doctor's smile fell a bit.

"What's so funny?"

But Rose only waved her hand.

"Excuse me, but who exactly are you two?" the other Doctor asked. Rose had just calmed and seen how he frowned when the Doctor jumped in enthusiasm, pointing at him.

"Ooh, there it goes! The frowny face!"

And Rose started to laugh again.

"I remember that one. Mind you", he suddenly said and Rose looked at he tapped his previous self on the cheeks. "Bit saggier than I ought to be. Hair's a but greyer. That's because of me, though."

The other Doctor looked quite offended as the Doctor went on. "See Rose, the two of us together has shorted out the time differential. Should all snap back in place when we get you home. Be able to close that coat again", he pulled the lapels together. "But never mind that. Look at you! The coat, the crickety cricket stuff, the..." he looked at the celery. "...stick of celery. Yeah. Brave choice, celery, but fair play to you. Not a lot of men can carry off a decorative vegetable."

He snapped his lips together and Rose snorted.

"Shut! Up!" the other Doctor said, appetantly finding his voice again. "There is something very wrong with my TARDIS, and I've got to do something about it very, very quickly, and it would help, it really would help if there wasn't some skinny, halfdressed idiot ranting in my face about every single think that happens to be in front of him!"

"Oi! Rude!" Rose said automatically and he turned to look at her in surprise.

"Sorry", he said at the same time as her Doctor.

"Thank you", he said then to his future self, took the hat off and turned to the console. The Doctor came to Rose.

"I can see why I weared a hat", he said to her. She slapped him on the chest but grinned.

"So that one was younger when he was you? Or you were him?"

"Yep."

"Mm-hm", Rose said, eyeing the man looking up at the console. The Doctor arched an eyebrow, opening his mouth, but was interrupted by his younger self.

"What have you done to my TARDIS? You've changed the desktop theme, haven't you. What's this one, coral?"

"Well", the Doctor began, looking around in pride.

"It's worse than the leopard skin."

Leopard skin? He had used leopard skin? Oh, she just had to see that. The Doctor took eyeglasses from his pocket and put them Doctor was all jumpy again.

"Oh, and out they come, the brainy specs. You don't even need them. You just think they make you look a bit clever", he said, rocking on his kneels hands in the pockets.

"I should've known", Rose muttered to him. "You and your sexyspecs."

"My what?"

She didn't have time to answer as there came a load alarm and the Doctor moved away from her and around the console, stopping in front of the other Doctor and leaning against the console.

"That's an alert", the yellowcoated Doctor said. "Level five, indicating a temporal collision. It like two TARDISes have merged, but there's definitely only one TARDIS present. It's like two time zones or more at the heart of the TARDIS. That's a paradox that could blow a hole in the space time continuum the size of..." he paused as the Doctor turned the screen to him. "Well, actually, the exact size of Belgium. That's a bit undramatic, isn't it? Belgium?"

So he had been a babbler before. It shouldn't have surprised her.

"Need this?", the Doctor said, offering him his sonic screwdriver.

"No, I'm fine."

"Oh no, of course, you liked to go hands free", the Doctor said, throwing his screwdriver in the air and chatching it, putting it in his brestpocket. A thing he did all the time and what Rose had grown very found of. "He", he said to Rose over Doctor's head. "Was all like hey, I'm the Doctor, I can save the universe using a kettle and some string. And look at me, I'm wearing a vegetable."

"Says the man who didn't get any furnitures in his room incase he could build his way out with them", Rose answered.

"I didn't say I couldn't do it", he defended himself. But the other Doctor had turned to look at him.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Take a look", the Doctor said and the other one leaned closer.

"Oh", the other Doctor said in realization. "Oh, no."

"Oh yes."

"You're... Oh, no."

"Here it comes. Yeah, I am", the Doctor said proudly.

"A fan."

"Yeah. What?"

Rose started to laugh again.

"To be the smartest man in the universe you sometimes are incredible stupid", she giggled. The other Doctor turned to look at her.

"And you, young lady! The situation is bad, two minutes to Belgium, and... and... and you think it's funny!"

That didn't stop her laughter, it only made it grow.  
"What do you mean, a fan? I'm not just a fan! I'm you!" the Doctor said, completely offended.

"Okay, you're my biggest fan", the other one said, waveing with his hand and still looking at laughing Rose who did her best to collect herself up again. Then he turned to the Doctor, like thinking that he should say something to soften his rudness. "Look, it's perfectly understandable. I go zooming around space and time, saving planets, fighting monsters and being well, let's be honest, pretty sort of marvellous, so naturally now and then people notice me..."

"Bit full of yourself, aren't you?" Rose said. "It's not gonna change, though..."

"Oi!" the Doctor said, pouting at her. She grinned back, making him to smile as well.

"What I wonder is how you flirty youngsters got into my TARDIS", the other Doctor mused but was soon distracted by the cloister bell.

"The cloister bell!" he shouted, forgetting what he was thinking.

"Right on time. That's my cue", the Doctor said, jumping to the console and starting to control the levers. His other self looked worried.

"In a minute we're going to create a black hole strong enough to swallow the entire universe!"

"Yeah, that's my fault, actually. I was all focused on snogging, forgot to put the shields back up. Your TARDIS and my TARDIS, well thesame TARDIS at different points in its own timestream collided and woh, there you go, end of the universe, butterfingers. But don't worry, I know exactly how this all works out. Watch. Venting the thermobuffer, drawing the Helmic regulator, and just to finish off, let's fry those Zeiton crystals."

Rose, who had no idea what the Doctor was on about, watched as he did what ever it was to stop the Belgium from happening.

"You'll blow up the TARDIS!" the celery-Doctor protested.

"No, I won't. I haven't."

"Who told you that?"

"You told me that", he said, pulling the last lever. The TARDIS rattled and shook and then calmed down.

"Supernova and black hole at the exact same instant", the younger Doctor said, astonished.

"The explosion cancels out the implosion", the older one continued.

"Pressure remains constant..."

"It's brilliant", the Doctor said happily.

"Far too brilliant. I've never met anyone else who could fly the TARDIS like that."

"Sorry, mate, you still haven't", the Doctor said, moving away from the console and coming back to Rose.

"He still didn't get it, did he?" she answered.

"Just a second", he answered, squeezing her hand.

"You didn't have time to work all that out. Even I couldn't do it..."

"I didn't work it out. I didn't have to", he said .

"You remembered", the other Doctor realized.

"Because you will remember."

"You remembered being me watching you doing that. You already knew what to do because I saw you do it."

"Okay", Rose said. "That's getting over me head."

"Wibbly wobbly..." the Doctor said gleefully.

"Timey wimey!" he ended with the other him.

"Um... what?"

"Timey wimey! It's a... it's a... long story. Tell you later."

The TARDIS made a noise and the Doctor let go of her hand.

"Right, TARDISes are separating. Sorry, Doctor, time's up. Back to long ago. Where are you now? Nyssa and Tegan? Cybermen and Mara and time lords in funny hats and the Master? Oh, he just showed up again..."

He glanced at Rose, who looked at the floor. Tears burned but she didn't want to cry again.

"Oh no, really? Does he still have that rubbish beard?" the younger Doctor asked.

"No, no beard this time. He... well..." he glanced at Rose again. "Oh! This is Rose Tyler!"

She looked up and smiled.

"Hello!"

He looked at her and then to the Doctor and looked confused. He had obviously realized what his visit had interrupted as Doctor's jersey's buttons were mostly open and half of the hem of his shirt was out of his trousers. His hair was a mess as well. Rose giggled again.

"Sorry", she said.

"Oh no, don't be", her Doctor said. "He's gonna like it."

"I certainly hope I am", he answered and offered her his hand. "Looking forward of meeting you, Rose Tyler."

She took his hand. His mind filled hers and it felt somehow so different than her Doctor's, somehow much lighter, there was no constant guilt and selfblame. He frowned as he felt her precense.

"What species are you?" he asked.

"Human."

"Then how -?"

He started to vanquish. The Doctor jumped to the console and switched something that brought him back. He took his hat and offered it to him.

"Sorry, long story, you'll find out later. Anyway. Just to let you know. I loved being you. Back when I first started at the very beginning, I was always trying to be old and grumpy and important, like you do when you're young. And then I was you, and it was all dashing about and playing cricket and my voice going all squeaky when I shouted. I still do that, the voice thing. I got that from you. And the trainers and, as Rose already said", he took his specs and put them on. "Snap! Because you know what, Doctor? You were my Doctor."

His younger self touched his hat.

"To days to come..." he said.

"...all my love to long ago."

He vanquished again. Rose went to him and wrapped her hands around his neck.

"You're such a fanboy", she said and kissed him.

"Am not!" he said.

"Don't worry. I like you being a fanboy."

She kissed him again.

"Oh, Doctor", the younger Doctor's voice came from no where "Remember to put your shields up."

He didn't let go of Rose, didn't even stop kissing her, only reached to the switch behind her, was just to do it, but was too late. Something hit on the TARDIS and knocked them over.

"Aww come on!" he said as he looked around. Rose choughed. It was dusty and messy and a prow of a ship was in the TARDIS.

"What?" the Doctor said, choughed as well and tried to move away from the mess. Rose took a life saver and turned it around.

"Oh well, should have known something like this happenes", she said looking at the letters on the life saver.

"What?" the Doctor said again, still stareing at the prow.

"Doctor", Rose said. "I think you want to see this."

She turned the life saver to him and let him read the name TITANIC from it.

"What?" he said the third time and Rose laughed.

"Guess we need to go and check that out, huh?" she said.

"But that's not what I had in mind!" he complained. Rose laughed and leaned to kiss his dusty lips.

"We have plenty of time for other activities. But I have never been on Titanic."

#####

 **A/N** : Here we go! Tell me what you think. Should I go on or not? There's gonna be a few changes in the following chapters...


	2. The Doubt

**A/N:** Hello readers and thank you for your comments, favs and follows! Just because today is Sunday I thought to give you the second chapter. I hope you'll enjoy of it and please review!

 **Disclaimer:** Do you think my ownership to this is has changed since Friday? Yes, you are right, is hasn't. So, still not mine.

 **The Doubt**

They peaked out from the TARDIS door and the Doctor was first to step out. Rose followed her. Everything looked very much like she had alwayes imagined. All the people were dressed propely. Just one thing was a bit off. There were humansized golden angels all around. And one other thing; a small, red, spiky alien.

"Doctor", Rose said slowly. "I have a feeling that this might not bee the Titanic after all."

"I'm thinking the same thing", the Doctor said. They moved to the nearest window.

"Right", the Doctor said and Rose looked out as well. She smiled.

"Oh", she said. They were in the space and below them was Earth. "Well, not the Titanic that I expected but maybe that's a good thing", she said. "It would come out that it was us sinking the ship if it were."

"Oi", the Doctor said and Rose laughed.

"Come on!"

"Where?"

"To change! It's a Titanic in the space! We can't be here all dusty and..." Rose geastured at him and he blushed slightly, noticing his jersey was still half open.

#####

Rose came to the console room wearing a darkblue halterneck dress that was both beautiful and practical. She was wearing higheels, not as high as the Master had made her wear but heels anyway. The Doctor was wearing his tuxedo and looked damn good in it. Not like she was going to say it to him. He, on the other hand, smiled as he saw her.

"You look wonderful", he said. She grinned.

"Can I put my changeheels into your pocket?" she asked.

"Your what heels?"

"Changeheels. You know, if we need to run. These", she said, pointing at her black shoes. "Don't work in running. These", she said, rising her hand that held other heels. "Do. So can I put them into your magical pockets?"

"They're not magical, they're transdimensonal", the Doctor said. "Do I need to start your training from the beginning?"

Rose smiled as she dropped the heels into his right pocket.

"Where do you need runningheels anyway?" he asked, a bit whiney. "You think I can't take you to a party that doesn't have monsters in it?"

"It's Titanic in space", Rose said a huge smile on her face. "You think it's a happy coincidence that it's called after the most famous ship of all human history?"

The Doctor arched a bow before breaking into a grin and laughed.

"Okay, maybe you don't need the full training."

"You have bedroomhair", she changed the subject, reaching her hand and ruffed his hair into its place, gave him a guick peck on the lips and pulled his hand.

"Come on!"

They stepped out and Rose noticed a screen on the wall she had missed before. There was a face of a man behind a desk.

"Max Caprocorn Cruiseliners", he said. "The fastest, the farthest, the best. And I should know because my name is Max."

He flashed a grin and a golden tooth shone. Rose grimaced.

"Merry Christmas, ma'am, sir", a steward said.

"Merry Christmas", both Rose and the Doctor answered.

"Lets find out what's going on, shall we?" the Doctor said and headed to the nearest angel.

"Evening", he greated. "Passenfer fifty seven and fifty eight. Terrible memory. Remind me. You would be...?"

The angel opened its mouth and a monotonius voice answered:

"Information. Heavenly Host supplying tourist information."

"Good. So. Tell me, because I'm an idiot, where are we from?"

"Information. The Titanic is en route from the planet Sto in the Cassavalian Belt. The purpose of the cruise is to experience primitive cultures."

Rose sighed. It wasn't the first time someone called humans primitive. And maybe it was true. After all, she knew how much more advantage the other raises were. Her hand was in the Doctor's and she had forgot it and she felt his amusement of her thoughts.

"Titanic", he said to the host. "Who thought of the name?"

"Information", the host began and Rose started to feel a bit irritated of that word already. "It was chosen as the most famous vessel of the planet Earth."

"Did they tell you why it was famous?"

"Information. All designations are chosen by Mister Max Capricorn, president of Max, Max, Max..." the host started to twitch and its voice went into a high pitch and lowed again. The Doctor let go of Rose's hand to take out his sonic screwdriver but the steward was there first.

"It's all right, sir, we can handle this", he said, switching the host off and nodding to two other men to carry the broken host away. The Doctor looked after it a bit worried.

"Software problem, that's all", the steward said. "Leave it with us, sir. Merry Christmas", he left and Rose caught him muttering something about it being another one. She turned back to the Doctor who smiled at her.

"Well then, Rose Tyler, what would you like to do? Dance, perhaps? I do know how to dance with this body, I had to, once, when you weren't around."

"Why not?" Rose said and giggled as the Doctor gave her a ridiculous bow and offered her his hand.

"Milady", he said. "Will you give me the honor of this dance?"

"I'd be delighted", Rose cooed and took his hand.

#####

After a while Rose started to feel thirsty.

"I'm gonna go and get something to drink", she said. "Got that payment stick with you?"

The Doctor seeked his pockets, pulled it out and gave to Rose. She left to the bar. There was a bit of gueue so she looked around her while waiting. It was so much like from Titanic the movie, the very one the Doctor didn't like as much as she did, as he found all those stupid faults from it. Try and watch a historical movie with someone who was propably there himself... Altough, Rose did find one fault from this Titanic. The waitresses with very short skirts. Anyway, Rose kind of enjoyed of the old fashion around her and the fact that the men were mostly gentlemen. Although, it didn't take long before there was a man next to her.

"Can I offer you a drink?" he asked. Rose glanced at him. He was in his forties and looked quite wealthy. "I have a feeling I'm gonna make a lot of money tonight."

"Well good luck with that", Rose answered.

"I'd like to celebrate it", he said.

"Yeah, well, I'm here with someone", Rose began.

"And that someone let you fetch your own drink?" he asked. Rose felt a stung of truth in his words. "Come on, champange?"

He didn't wait for her answer before he whistled to the girl behind the counter. She looked annoyed but smiled anyway, gave him two glasses of bubbling champagne and left.

"Rickston Slade", he said and smiled.

"Rose Tyler", she answered.

"Pretty name for a pretty girl", the man said.

"Haven't heard that one before", Rose muttered and took a sip. She should go and look for the Doctor. He was propably wondering what took her so long.

"I'm gonna go now", she said. "Thanks for the drink."

She left before Slade said another word. The Doctor weren't on the window she had left him. She looked around, he was so tall he should be easy to find.

"Can't find him?" Slade asked behind her. Now she was really starting to feel irritated.

"Look, mate", she said. "I'm sorry but I'm not interested. Okay? So could you just leave me alone."

"I'm just saying that you could do better. I saw you with him earlier. He went to the teleport gueue a moment ago. With a waitress."

Rose felt her heart sink. That couldn't be true. He wouldn't. He had just wondered off or something. He wouldn't leave her alone for another woman. But the memory of Reinette came to her fresh and aching. She forced a smile into her face.

"Yeah? Well, guess he has a good reason to it. If it even was him. He has a habit to go and look around on his own."

She knew it sounded like explaning, maybe because it was. She was explaining to herself more than anyone else. She looked around herself again.

"I was in mid-sentence!" she heard the Doctor's huffed voice and turned around, smiling. She left Slade where he was and went to the Doctor, who was talking to a short, balding man.

"- of a problem. If I could have your bracelets..." the man answered.

"There you are!" Rose said. The steward came to them.

"Apologies, ladies and gentlemen, and Bannakaffalatta. We seem to have suffered a slight power fluctuation. If you'd like to return to the festivities. And on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruiseliners, free drinks will be provided."

"Thank you", said a fat lady and smiled happily. A short, blonde waitress next to the Doctor jumped couple of times in exitement.

"That was the best. The best!" she exclaimed and hugged him. The smile on Rose's face died and she turned her head away. The Doctor didn't seem to notice.

"What sort of power fluctuation?" he asked from the steward. He didn't give him an answer, only told him there was nothing to be worried about. The Doctor left and moved to stand by the dancefloor. He looked around himself and Rose knew he was checking the surroundings.

"I'm worried", he informed Rose. "Something's not right. I'll go and..." then he suddenly smiled. Rose followed his gaze and saw the same small, pretty waitress to smile back at him. She bit her tounge not to snap at him right there. When the waitress turned to her task Doctor's face went serious again and so went to the nearest frame showing the video of that creepy Max Copricorn and soniced it, opening the frame and doing something behind it. As he closed it he looked around.

"Rose?"

He seemed to notice she hadn't followed her.

"Rose, come here, what do you think?"

He pointed at the screen. There was an image of the ship and of some kind of radar but that's was about all Rose understood.

"The shields are off-line", he explained.

"Yeah, well, put them online", Rose said coldly. He frowned at her.

"I can't. It's need to be done from the bridge."

He peaked out from the nearest window and, just because she couldn't help herself, Rose looked as well. Three burning meteors were approaching. Her heart leaped. Oh no, she should've known. The Doctor hurried to make a contact to the bridge.

"Is that the bridge? I need to talk to the Captain. You've got a meteoroid storm coming in west zero by north two."

"Who is this?" came an answer.

"Never mind that", the Doctor said hurriedly. "Your shields are down. Check your scanners, Captain. You've got meteoroids coming in and no shielding."

"You have no authorisation. You will clear the comms at once."

Rose pushed the Doctor aside.

"Listen, mate, I don't care whether he has authorisation or not. You have two options here; do exactly as he tells you and safe everyone on the ship or play your little authority-game and kill everyone on the ship. How is it?"

"You need to come with me", the steward said, pulling Rose away from the comms.

"Hey!"

"Let go of her!" the Doctor snapped and was also taken a hold of. He didn't fight like Rose did but tried to peal on the men walking them away. "You've got a rock storm heading for this ship and the shields are down!"

Rose tried to kick her way off and the man holding Doctor turned to see if the man holding her needed help. That's when the Doctor pulled off and ran to the singer and taking her microphone.

"Everyone, listen to me! This is an emergency! Get to the lifeb-"  
He didn't get into the end before a host put a hand on his mouth.

"Doctor!" Rose shouted and suddenly the steward let go of her like he had had a shock.

"Look out the windows!" Doctor shouted as he got his mouth free. But the guards pulled him away. "If you don't believe me check the shields yourself!"

"Sir", the waitress said. "I can vouch for him."

Sure you can, Rose thought mordantly. A man, quite fat as well, stepped closer, tried to make a peace. And so did the balding man.

"Not now!" the steward snapped. Rose heard that something hit the window, a sudden flash of destructed Eart hit her mind, and she turned around. She whipped around and saw Slade to bend to pick something up. And alarm went off.

"Oxygen membrane holding", it said calmly. "Oxygen membrane holding."

Rose ran after the Doctor who was leaded towards the corridors.

"The shields are down. We are going to get hit!" the Doctor shouted.

"A meteor just hit the window!" she yelled, not knowing if she wanted to inform the man holding the Doctor or the Doctor himself. Slade, who followed them as well, started to get really annoyed.

"Oi! Steward! I'm telling you, the shields are down!" he shouted to the man.

"Listen to him. Listen to him!"

Something exploded. Titanic shook causing everyone to fall. The Doctor got free and pulled Rose to him, covering her with his body. A silence that followed the explosion was filled with whimpering people. Rose pushed herself up, not minding the Doctor, who was trying to stop her. He gave up and stood, shushed people.

"Everyone alright? Astrid?"

A painful stung hit Rose to her lungs.

"I think so", the woman in question answered.

"Bad name for a ship", the Doctor said. "Either that or this suit is really unlucky", he grinned at Rose who turned away. He was not going to get out of this so easily. He couldn't keep doing this to her over and over again, he just couldn't! She wouldn't take this anymore. The steward started to talk.

"Er, everyone. Ladies and gentlemen, Bannakaffalatta. I must apologise on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruiseliners. We seem to have had a small collision."

Rose rised her eyebrows and that big sized man gave words to her thoughts.

"Small?"

"Do you know how much I paid for my ticket?" Slade asked. Right then Rose felt like hitting him. With a fist. On the nose. How could he think of money at a moment like this?

"If I could have silence, ladies, gentlemen. Please. Quiet!"

Everyone shut their mouths. Rose took a moment to look around. The place was a mess, there was a huge hole on the trunk and she was gratefull of the oxygen shields. Pipes and tubes were broken and there was sparks and it smelled like oil and gas and iron.

"Thank you", the steward said. "I'm sure Max Capricorn Cruiseliners will be able to reimburse you for any inconvenience, but first I would point out that we're very much alive."

Rose looked around her to see how many of them there was. There was that overweight couple, Astrid, Slade, Steward, that small red alien who was apparently called Bannacaffalatta and that oldish balding man. Rose noticed he was holding his head, and there was blood.

"Doctor", she said and the Doctor immidiately went to him.

"Are you all right?" he asked gently, cheking the cut.

"She is, after all, a fine, sturdy ship. If you could all stay here while I ascertain the exact nature of the situation", the steward continued.

"Oh will you just shut up?" Rose snapped. She noticed him going to the nearest hatch and hurried to stop him. "If you open that we will be sucked out into space", she said. "So don't."

He looked quite confused for a moment but suddenly seemed to understand that she was right and left the hacth untouched.

"Then how exactly are we going to get out of here?" he asked. The Doctor moved to them taking Rose's hand. She pulled it away and he frowned at her.

"Rose?"

"What happened?" Astrid said before Rose had a change to answer. "How come the shields were down?"

"I don't think it was an accident", the Doctor said. He went to look out of the hole on the trunk. Parts of the Titanic were floating in the air. And so were bodies and, Rose's heart stammered, the TARDIS.

"How many dead?" Astrid asked in a hollow voice. Rose felt compassion on her but shook it off.

"We're alive", the Doctor said. "Just focus on that. I will get you out of here, Astrid, I promise. Look at me", he said, taking a hold of her shoulders. Rose couldn't help but look and her whole body was aching because of that. Astrid looked at him, pale and scared. "I promise", he said. She nodded. "Good. Now, if we can get to reception, I've got a spaceship tucked away. We can all get on board that..."

"No we can't", Rose said. She pointed out of the window and the Doctor looked.

"Oh."

"What is it? What's wrong?" Astrid asked, all paniced again.

"That's my ship over there."

"Where?"

"There. That box. That little blue box."

"That's a spaceship?" Astrid asked. Rose snorted. Now was really not time for this.

"Oi, she's a brilliant ship!" she snapped. Astrid turned to look at her and smiled a little.

"It's a bit small", she explained.

"A bit distant", the Doctor said sadly. "Trouble is, once it's set adrift, it's programmed to lock onto the nearest centre of gravity, and that would be the Earth."

Rose looked as the TARDIS started to be suck towards the Earth. Well, she thought, at least they would find it. Or the Doctor would, she wasn't so sure about her coming with him after all.


	3. Only You

**A/N:** Hello readers and thank you for follows and favorites! Please leave me a note and tell me what you think. I know that the Titanic story is quite familiar but I promise that things are going to be a bit different in the future. And I promise that you'll have an access to Doctor's mind as well every once in a while. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** Still not mine.

 **Only You**

As the Doctor was getting in touch with the bridge Rose searhed for the changeheels from his pocket. She took of the high ones and put the lower ones to their place, slipping the other heels back to his pockets. He looked what she was doing while talking with some midshipman Frame about the situation.

"What's the state of the engines?" he asked when Rose was finished.

"They're... er... hold on", there came a groan.

"Have you been injured?" the Doctor asked worriedly.

"I'm all right", Frame answered. He told the engine state as Rose moved away.

"That's a nuclear storm drive, yes?" the Doctor asked, his gaze following Rose, who went to the overweighted couple.

"What's your name?" she asked from the lady who was near tears.

"Foon", she answered. "And that's Morvin, my husband."

"I'm Rose", Rose said smiling. "And that's the Doctor. He's gonna get us out from here. He's done things like this for years."

Foon smiled.

"Thank you", she said and Rose squeezed her hand, moving to mr Copper to check his wellbeing.

"Trust me, it'll keep the engines going until I can get to the bridge", the Doctor said. As he ended his speech Foon brust into tears again and everyone started to talk at the same time. The Doctor rised his hands in the air.

"Okay, okay. Shush, shush, shush, shush, shush. First things first", he said, looking at the crowd before him. "One. We are going to climb through this ship. B. No. Two. We're going to reach the bridge. Three. Or C. We're going to save the Titanic. And, coming in a very low four, or D, or that little iv in brackets they use in footnotes, why. Right then, follow me."

He turned around and started walking but Slade, ofcourse, stood up againt him.

"Hang on a minute. Who put you in charge? And who the hell are you anyway?"

"I'm the steward", the steward said. "I'm on the lead in a situations like this."

"As you did so brilliantly before", Rose mumbled. The Doctor turned and Rose felt a hump in her stomack as she saw the look in his face.

"I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. I'm nine hundred and three years old and I'm the man who's going to save your lives and all six billion people on the planet below. You got a problem with that?"

While he spoke the sparks of damaged trunks and pipes were flying and if she wouldn't have been so upset and angry and hurt she would have gone and kiss him right there and then.

"No", Slade and the steward said at the same time and Rose grinned a bit at Slade's astonishmend.

"In that case, allons-y!"

#####

They headed forward on the ruins of the ship.

"Rather ironic, but this is very much in the spirit of Christmas" Copper mused. "It's a festival of violence. They say that human beings only survive depending on whether they've been good or bad. It's barbaric."

"What?" Rose asked, bemused.

"Actually, that's not true", the Doctor pointed out. "Christmas is a time of, of peace and thanksgiving and what am I on about? My Christmases are always like this," he stopped and looked at something. "We've got a host!" he informed everyone. Rose looked where he was pointing. A broken angel was half covered with bits and pieces of the ship.

"Strength of ten. If we can mend it, we can use it to fix the rubble."

"I don't know if that's a good idea", Rose whispered to him. "I mean, don't they work for the same people who caused the whole thing?"

"They're robots, Rose, they do what we ask", the Doctor said. Rose felt like her opinion was ignored and thought, childishly, that if Astrid would have said that she wouldn't have been ignored.

"We can do robotics. Both of us", Morvin said, pointing his wife.

"We work on the milk market back on Sto. It's all robot staff", Foon nodded.

"What, in milk market?" Rose asked. The Doctor grinned at her.

"See if you can get it working", he said, moving up. "Let's have a look."

They ended up in a blocked corridor. Rose felt frustration to mix with exitement. She had missed this adrenalin flood and danger and still been very happy to not be in a mortal danger every other day.

"What do we do now?" Astrid asked.

"We shift it", Rose said like it was obvious. As it was, infact. Maybe the Doctor would have ignored Astrid as well.

"That's my girl!" the Doctor said. "Rickston, Mister Copper, and you, Bannakaffalatta... Look, can I just call you Banna? It's going to save a lot of time."

"No. Bannakaffalatta", Bannakaffalatta said. Rose almost felt how much the Doctor wanted to roll his eyes even though they didn't touch each others.

"All right then, Bannakaffalatta. There's a gap in the middle. See if you can get through."

"Easy. Good."

Rose grabbed Doctor's arm as the ship shook but let immidiately go when she felt his mind to touch hers with a light question.

"This whole thing could come crashing down any minute!" Slade said.

"Oh, Rickston, I forgot. Did you get that message?" the Doctor said, looking at Rose.

"No. What message?" Slade asked.

"Shut up!" Rose and the Doctor said in union. Bannakaffalatta informed that he had made his way through the block.

"I'm small enough, I can get through", Astrid said and kneeled.

"Careful", the Doctor warned.

"I'm fine."

"Now, steward... what was your name again?" the Doctor asked.

"Hans", he answered.

"Okay, Hans, can you go next? We need a man into the other side."

He nodded and obeyed, slipping through the best he could. He had been very quiet and likely ashamed of what had happened and what he had almost done and of the lack of his leadership the moment he needed it.

"Thing is, how are Mister and Mrs Fatso going to get through that gap?"

She shot him an angry gaze, feeling that breaking his nose wouldn't be quite enough anymore, and the Doctor laid his hand on her shoulder.

 _Easy there, tiger.._

She shook his hand off and took a deep breath.

"We make it bigger, you moron. Come on and give me a hand!"

"We can clear it from this side", Astrid's voice said. "Just tell us if it starts moving."

Rose stopped listening her while she grabbed the nearst trunk to move it aside. They worked in silence for a while, the only noise was the rattle and squeeck of the ruined ship and instuctions they gave each other from other sides of the block.

"Almost done!" Morvin's voice came from a stair below.

"Good, good, good. Mister Frame, how's things?" the Doctor said to the comms.

"Doctor, I've got life sings all over the ship but they're going out one by one."

"What is it? Are they losing air?" the Doctor asked, consern. Rose bent to see Morvin and Foon finish with the host. She had a bad feeling about this.

"No", Frame said. "One of them said it's the host. It's something to do with the host."

"Stop it!" Rose yelled. "Stop fixing the -"

"It's working!" Morvin answered.

"Kill", the host said, rising its hand.

"Turn it off!" the Doctor shouted. But it was too late. The host was trying to hit them dead.

"Go!" Rose shouted, waveing them to move. The Doctor tried to sonic the host, who had put its hand on Morvin's throat. Rose ran down the stairs, trying to pull it off.

"Double deadlock!" the Doctor groaned.

"You got to do something with that deadlockporblem! You always trip to that on! That and that bloody -", she got the hand off. "Wood!"

"Quickly, go upstairs!" the Doctor shouted. "Rose! Come on!"

"Run, darling, run!" Morvin pulled Foon's hand. The host was breaking stuff around it, trying to follow them.

"Rickston! Get them through!" the Doctor yelled.

"No chance", Slade answered.

"You do as he says or we won't need a host to kill you!" Rose shouted.

"I'll never get through there", Foon paniced. Rose went to her.

"Listen to me, Foon, you got to do this, yeah? You can do it. I trust you."

"She's right", Copper said. "You can do it. Let me go first."

He dived throught the hole.

"Kill, kill", the host repeated, coming closer.

"Go on, Foon", Rose said, giving her a gentle push. She took a deep breath and kneeled down. She was half way through when she cried out.

"Now I'm stuck!"

Neither Rose nor the Doctor heard what they others answered her. The host was halfway to them. The Doctor pushed Rose behind him.

"I can take care of myself!" she snapped.

"Rose, what's going on?" he asked.

"Really? You wanna talk about it now?"

Foon was through. The Doctor shot a desperate galre at Rose before turning to Morvin.

"Get through!" he said. The host was still slamming everything infront of it. He chaught stuck as well and the Doctor, apologizing, gave him a push to his butt.

"That's it!" Astrid said. "We've got you. Now you two, come on, get through!"

"Rose, go!"

She did as he told, waiting for him to follow right away, but he turned to the host.

"Information override! You will tell me the point of origin of your command structure!"

"I can't hold it!" Copper shouted.

"Information. Deck thirty one."

"Thank you!"

The Doctor dived throught the hole, those keeping it open let go and the the heavy shipjunk fell over the host and it broke.

#####

They found another corridor and the Doctor went to get a contact to the bridge. Rose sat next to Foon and Morvin, who had found something to eat.

"Who is that Doctor?" Foon asked. "I've never met anyone like him."

Rose smiled sadly as she looked at him.

"You heard him", she said. "He's the Doctor."

Morvin smiled.

"You must love him very much", he said. Rose looked at her and laughed bitterly.

"Sometimes I wish I didn't", she said and wiped a tear away before it dropped.

"Now why do you say that?" Foon asked, tapping her hand motherly. "I've seen the way he looks at you."

"Sometimes that isn't enough", Rose said. She turned to them propely. "See, we just... he just told me he loved me for the first time sice we met years ago. And now..."

They glanced at the Doctor. He was focused on speaking with Frame and Rose felt her heart swell just the look at him. Then she noticed Astrid, who kept an eye on him as well and sighed.

"Surely that means nothing", Foon said. "He mentioned you when we met. It was so romantic, wasn't it, darling?"

"Very romantic", Morvin agreed.

"What did he say?" Rose asked.

"He said 'I'm waiting for my Rose' and when I asked who Rose is he said 'Oh, no one particular, just the most amazing girl in universe."

Rose felt her cheeks heat up. Had he really said like that about her? Then why was it all about Astrid now?

"Let me know if you find anything. And keep those engines going", the Doctor hang up. Rose looked how Astrid rushed to him and bent a bit closer.

"Saved you some", she said, giving him a bit of food. "You might be a Time King from Gaddabee but you need to eat."

"Yeah, thanks", he took it.

"So, you look good for nine hundred and three", Astrid smiled. The Doctor snorted softly.

"You should see me in the mornings."

Rose dropped her sandwich. She had not just heard of that, right?

"Okay", Astrid answered. Rose stood up.

"Sorry", she said to Foon and Morvin and went to the Doctor, her eyes dark. Astrid stood and went to give Hans something to eat as well, looking back at the Doctor and smiling.

"What's it with you and Astrid?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm and without any bitterness.

"With... with me and... nothing", he sounded really confused.

"Then why are flirting with her?"

"I'm not flirting with her!" now he was offended.

"Oh? What's all that 'you should see me in the mornings' stuff then?" her voice started to get a bit loader.

"That wasn't flirting!" the Doctor answered, huffed.

"Oh, yes it was", said mister Copper, who suddenly appeared next to them.

"No, it wa - oh", he seemed to realize something. "That explains a lot."

Rose crossed her arms and rised her eyebrows. He seemed to understand what was going on.

"Oh, Rose", he said. "No, Rose, no", he stood and laid his hands on her shoulders. She looked down, arms still crossed. "You're wrong. It's nothing like that."

"She likes you", Rose said bitterly.

"And I love you", the Doctor said. "Do you know how many people I have said that in my life?"

"Probably thousands", Rose said, still refusing to look at him.

"One", the Doctor corrected. "You. You are the only one, Rose. I love you. Just you."

She tried to hide her smile, she was still upset.

"Was that a smile?" he asked. A small laugh escaped from her lips.

"Let's not go there again, yeah?" she said. He cupped her cheek.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay", she said and sighed. "Just don't do that again."

He pulled her into a very passionate kiss. When it broke he grinned.

"Now it shouldn't be unclear to anyone", he said.

"That's the only reason you kissed me then, huh?"

 _Oh, Rose._

"Sorry to interrupt you two, but Earth is down there. Can't we send a signal?" Copper asked and they pulled apart.

"They don't have spaceships", the Doctor said.

"No, I read about it", Copper said sadly. "They have shuffles. Space shuffles."

Rose sniggered but got a hold of herself quickly. She turned to the Doctor.

"I assume that deck thirtyone is the lowest deck?" she asked.

"Yeah", the Doctor said. "How did you guess?"

"Titanic spaceship", Rose reminded. "There just got to be something under it, you know. Everything is always under big, well known stuff. London Eye, Thames..."

"Empire State Building", the Doctor continued. "That's true."

"What was under Empire State Building?" Rose asked curiously. But there came a load BANG and the Doctor jumped up.

"A host! Move! Come on!"

 **#####**

Astrid touched Rose's arm lightly as they moved on.

"I just wanted to say", she said silently. "That I'm sorry. I didn't know that you two were together."

Rose smiled at her. Now that she knew that the Doctor didn't like her that way and that she didn't do it on purpose she actually liked her.

"It's okay. Our thing... it's quite new."

Astrid nodded.

"Just don't think ill of me because of that", she asked and she grinned.

"Don't worry, I won't."

They entered to the engine room and the noise of there was load and threatning. The fact that there was only a door seperating them from the angry group of hosts and their only way away from them was a narrow, broken bridge that lead over a drop to the burning engines wasn't very couraging. Or actually, now that she thought of that, it was very couraging.

"Is that the only way across?" Slade complained. Rose shot him a deadly glare but he didn't notice. He was eyeing Foon and Morvin. Rose hated him for that.

"On the other hand, it is a way across", the Doctor said, trying to sound positive.

"The engines are open", Astrid said, looking down in worry. Rose peaked down as well. She wouldn't want to fall there, steaming hot engines would burn anyone alive.

"Nuclear storm drive. As soon as it stops, the Titanic falls", the Doctor said.

"Better to head to the deck thirtyone then", Rose said to him. "Find out what's all this about and stop it. Because... well, the Earth's gonna be destroyed if this ship falls."

"What?" the Doctor said. Rose took his hand and showed him what she had seen. The Doctor looked worried.

"You're going last, mate", Slade said to Morvin in an unfriendly manner, going to the bridge. It rattled and sqeeked but didn't give up.

"It's nitrofin metal. It's stronger than it looks" the Doctor comforted.

"All the same, Rickston's right", Morvin said. "Me and Foon should -" but he had stepped to the bridge, the part under his feet gave up and he fell.

"Morvin!" Foon screamed. Rose took a hold of her before she'd fall as well.

"I told you. I told you!" Slade shouted, paniced.

"Just shut up. Shut up!" Copper shouted back, shocked. They all watched down to the burning engines. There was nothing left of Morvin to be seen.

"Bring him back! Can't you bring him back? Bring him back, Doctor!" Foon cried. Rose hugged her.

"I'm sorry, Foon. I really am", she said. "Calm down. We'll get you safe, yeah?"

Slade, impatient of the delay, turned over.

"I'm not waiting for the host to find us", he said, moving on.

"Careful. Take it slowly!" the Doctor shouted.

"I wouldn't mind if he dropped", Rose muttered. Slade lost his balance and dropped to his knees.

"Oh, Vot help me", he prayed. The host started to bang the door. The Doctor soniced it, muttering something about sealing them out.

"Got us trapped, you say", Copper said frightened.

"Never say trapped", the Doctor said calmly. "Just... inconveniently circumstanced. We've been situations like this hundreds of times, haven't we Rose?"

"Hundreds of times", she comfirmed.

"I'm okay!" Slade informed from the bridge.

"Oh no", Rose muttered and the Doctor gave her a little, playful push.

"Maybe he's all right. Maybe... maybe there's a gravity curve down there or something. I don't know. Maybe he's just unconscious!" Foon cried.

"I'm sorry, Foon. He's gone", Astrid said. Foon sobbed helplessly against Rose's shoulder. She tapped her comforting on the back as Slade get on the other side, proclaiming how good he was. Next went Bannakaffalatta, and as the door started to rattle the Doctor told Astrid to go as well. Copper joined them.

"I shouldn't" Hans said, finding his resposibility again. "I'm staff!"

"Go!" Rose snapped, there really wasn't time to argue, and he went almost happy for the fact that someone was telling him what to do. The Doctor pushed Foon towards the bridge but she refused to move.

"You've got to get across right now", the Doctor pealed.

"What for? What am I going to do without him?" she cried.

"Live your life! Be happy! Learn new things!" Rose said. "Please, Foon."

"Doctor? The door's locked!" Slade complained.

"Couldn't you just try and manage on your own for two seconds!" Rose snapped at him, hugging Foon. "What would he want?" she asked her.

"He don't want nothing. He's dead!"

Her sobs were wet and long and she seemed to lost all her willing to even try and survive.

"Doctor, I can't open the door. We need the whirling key thing of yours!"

"Shut it!" Rose screamed. She was getting really pissed off with that man.

"She'll get us all killed if we can't get out!"

The Doctor touched her neck and she felt his efforts to calm her down.

"Rose, stay here with Foon. I'll take the sonic to them and come back. Okay?"

She nodded and, as Foon still hang on her, the Doctor followed others to the bridge. It started to shake.

"Too many people!" Bannakaffalatta said immidiately.

"Oi! Don't get spiky with me. Keep going."

Bannakaffalatta and Astrid crossed the middle. The bridge was still shakeing, Foon was still crying and the host were still.. no, they weren't. Why didn't they bang the door anymore? Rose looked around her. Everyone on the bridge stopped moving.

"Gone away?" Bannakaffalatta suggested hopefully.

"Why would they give up?" the Doctor asked and Rose could sense his worry. She was worried. If they didn't try to come through the door they tried to find another way. Where would they come? They couldn't cross the engineroom any other way, right? So how... oh no. Rose looked up. Several hosts were coming towards them from up above.

"They're angels Doctor!" she shouted. "They can fly!"

"Information. Kill", the host said and slowly reached over they heads, taking off their halos.

"Oh, no!", Rose said.

"Arm yourself, all of you!", the Doctor shouted, knowing the same as Rose. Rose let go of Foon and took two pieces of metal from the ground.

"Here", she said and forced it on still crying Foon's hand. "They're partly the reason Morvin died. Now let them know what you think of that, yeah?"

Foon collected herself a bit, sniffed and nodded. As much as Rose had hoped that the halos would stay were they landed they didn't. The host always chaught them again, and the battle didn't seem to end at all. Everyone started to get tired. She had a cut on her leg, the Doctor lost his balance, Astrid dropped her weapon. That's when Bannakaffalatta opened his coat.

"Bannakaffalatta stop. Bannakaffalatta proud. Bannakaffalatta cyborg!" he shouted. Some short of energypulse cut the air, stopping the host. They watched them fall down to the engine. One of them landed on the bridge right behind the Doctor.

"Oh, Bannakaffalatta, that was brilliant!" the Doctor said cheerfully. But the little cyborg hadn't strength to rejoice with them. As he collapsed Astrid kneeled next to him and they talked in a low voice. Rose turned to look at Foon, who had a firm look on her face.

"I'm gonna go and find out who did this to my Morvin!" she said surprisingly load voice.

"Good for you, Foon", Rose smiled. The host laying on the bridge stood up suddenly and quickly.

"Doctor!" Rose warned. Copper pointed it with something he was holding. Rose didn't see what it was but what ever it was supposed to do it didn't work. The Doctor was backing off, holding his hand up.

"No, no, no. Hold on. Override loophole. Security protocol ten. Six six six. Er, twenty one, four, five, six, seven, eight", the host was coming closer and closer and panic grew inside Rose. "I don't know, forty two? Er, one!"

The host stopped.

"Information. State request", it said.

"Good. Right", the Doctor said and stepped closer. "You've been ordered to kill the survivors, but why?"

"Information. No witnesses."

"But this ship's going to fall on the Earth and kill everyone. The human race have nothing to do with the Titanic, so that contravenes your orders, yes?"

"Information. Incorrect."

"But why do you want to destroy the Earth?" he asked in utter confusion.

"Information. It is the plan."

"What plan?"

"Information. Protocol grants you only three questions. These three questions have been used."

"Well, you could have warned me", the Doctor said, backing off quickly.

"Information. Now you will die."

"No!" Rose shouted, all turned gold and she saw, she was awake and there when it happened, when the Bad Wolf took over and reached out her hand, wipeing the air in the direction of the host, and then it was gone, the host was dead, dissapeared, turned into ash. Rose gasped and took a step forward to keep her balance.

"Rose! Rose, are you okay?" she heard the Doctor to shout and rised her face.

"Yeah, fine. Just a bit dizzy. That was weird."

"What on Vot was that?" Slade asked. "She was glowing gold."

"I'm a superhero", Rose said. "Now go, Doctor! We need to get going to the lowest deck."

"Right, yes", the Doctor said. They moved to the other side carefully, the Doctor gave Hans the Sonic Screwdriver, Rose sent Foon to follow him and after she was safe on the other side the Doctor crossed it back to Rose.

"So you're not trying to send me with them?" she asked.

"Would you go if I tried?"

"No."

"There we have it then. Come on. Deck thirtyone is waiting."


	4. Don't Mess With the Bad Wolf

**A/N:** Hello again and thank you for reading! Here's the last Titanic-chapter and after this there's going to be some changes. About this chapter, though... little warning. The end is going to be super fluffy. And I mean like chocolatecovered cottoncandyclouds on the rainbowsky where the unicorsn fly -fluffy. I wanted Rose and the Doctor to have one fluffymoment before spoilers. Anyway. Please read and rewiev!

 **Disclaimer:** Not mine.

 **Don't Mess With the Bad Wolf**

"So, what was under the Empire State Building?" Rose asked as they rounded a corner.

"A lab with all the tecnology it needed for a daleks to turn humans into them."

Rose gapped at him, thinking that he might be joking.

"What?"

"Yeah, I wasn't happy either. Turned out that the cult of Skaro escaped from the Battle. They ended up into 20's New York. Tried to build an army of daleks in humanbodies. I stopped them, ofcourse. They died, everyone else but Caan."

They turned around another corner and four Hosts were faceing them. The Doctor immidiately pushed Rose behind him.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait", he babbled in extraspeed, holding his second fingers up. "Security protocol one. Do you hear me? One. ONE-AH!"

The host stopped and waited. The Doctor sniffed and stepped a bit closer.

"Okay, that gives me three questions. Three questions to save my life, am I right?"

"Oh, shit", Rose muttered as the Host gave the answer she knew it would.

"Information. Correct."

"No, that wasn't one of them!" the Doctor corrected quickly, fustration leaking out of him. "I didn't mean it. That's not fair. Can I start again?"

"Oh, just..." Rose snapped at the same time the Host told him no.

"No!" the Doctor said, running his hands through his hair. "No, no, no, no. That wasn't a question either. Blimey. One question left. One question..." he looked at Rose who rised her eyebrows. She couldn't help him with this. He was the one with a superior time lord brains.

"So, you've been given orders to kill the survivors but survivors must therefore be passengers or staff, but not us. We're not passengers. We're not staff. Go on, scan us. You must have bio-records. No such people on board. We don't exist, therefore you can't kill us. Therefore, we're stowaways, and stowaways should be arrested and taken to the nearest figure of authority. And I reckon the nearest figure of authority is on deck thirty one. Final question. Am I right?"

Rose smiled proudly at him as he glimbsed at her.

"Information. Correct."

"Brilliant. Take me to your leader", he grinned at Rose. "I've always wanted to say that."

"You have said that", Rose said as the Hosts lead them forward. He frowned.

"When?"

"On the slitheen invasion? When you were called to Downing Street?"

"Oh, yeah. But I haven't said it with these lips!"

Rose snorted.

#####

They were lead to the lowest level. The engines were there, humming loadly. The Doctor let go of Rose's hand and jumped forward.

"Wow. Now that is what you call a fixer upper", he said gleefully. "Come on then, host with the most, this ultimate authority of yours. Who is it?"

Rose moved closer to him as a host opened a pair of doors and looked around. Deck thirtyone was a large hall, probably the engines were there considering the load humm.

"Oh, that's clever. That's an omnistate impact chamber. Indestructible", he said to Rose, nodding towards the doors. "You can survive anything in there. Sit through a supernova. Or a shipwreck. Only one person can have the power and the money to hide themselves on board like this and I should know, because..."

Rose watched astonished as a divice rolled out from the room. It was a robot on tiny heels and in top of that was a human head. A head of...

"My name is Max", the head said, flashing that creepy grin. His golden theeth really glinted, making it all a bit more creepy.

"It really does that", the Doctor said.

"I was thinking the same thing", Rose nodded.

"Who the hell are they?" Max asked the host.

"I'm the Doctor and this is Rose Tyler. Oh! I've missed saying that!" he grinned at Rose and reached out to her hand. She took it willingly.

"Information. Stowaways", a host said.

"Well..."

"Kill them", Max said, ready to turn away. Rose rised her chin, ready to call the Bad Wolf for help if needed, and the host grapped them.

The Doctor opened his mouth before anything else happened.

"Oh, no, no, no. Wait, but you can't. Not now", he smiled politely at the head on wheels. "Come on, Max. You've given me so much good material, like, how to get ahead in business", he made a happy grin and Rose rolled her eyes. "See? Head? Head in business? No?"

It took a while and the Max started to laugh.

"The office joker. I like a funny man", he greeted. "No one's been funny with me for years."

"Yeah? Have you seen yourself lately?" Rose asked poisonously.

"A hundred and seventy six years of running the company have taken their toll", Max admitted.

"Yeah but, nice wheels", the Doctor said.

"No, a life support system, in a society that despises cyborgs", Max said, not sounding at all bitter. I've had to hide away for years, running the company by hologram."

"We just met a cyborg", Rose said. "He sacrificed himself to save us. Being a cyborg doesn't mean you need to try and kill everyone!"

Max glanced at her.

"Pretty ladies like you", he said slowly. "They don't appriciate things like me."

"So?" Rose argued. "Life isn't just about having sex, is it?"

Max looked at her and then the host.

"Host, situation report."

"Information. Titanic is still in orbit."

"Let me see", he said. "We should have crashed by now. What's gone wrong? The engines are still running! They should have stopped!"

"When they do, the Earth gets roasted", the Doctor said gloomly. "I don't understand. What's the Earth got to do with it?"

"This interview is terminated", Max said, turning away. Rose closed her eyes, begging for the Bad Wolf to give her something. But it wasn't that easy, she still had hard times to communicate with the other personality living inside her, or what ever the Bad Wolf did.

"No. No, no, no, no, no. Hold on, hold on, hold on", the Doctor babbled. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I can work it out. It's like a task. I'm your apprentice. Just watch me. So, business is failing and you wreck the ship so that makes things even worse. Oh, yes! No. Yes. The business isn't failing, it's failed. Past tense."

He looked at Rose from the corner of his eye. She shook her head slightly. She still didn't feel the contact with the Wolf fully. She needed to get adrenaklin running and it didn't run for order.

"My own board voted me out. Stabbed me in the back", Max said, bitterness starting to leak into his voice.

"If you had a back", the Doctor joked. "So, you scupper the ship, wipe out any survivors just in case anyone's rumbled you and the board find their shares halved in value. Oh, but that's not enough! No, because if a Max Capricorn ship hits the Earth, it destroyes an entire planet. Outrage back home. Scandal! The business is wiped out!"

"And the whole board thrown in jail for mass murder", Max ended, smiling.

"While you sit there, safe inside the impact chamber..."

Rose felt her anger grew. He was pathetic coward! The anger seemed to grow her link with the Wolf and she turned all her attention into it.

"I have men waiting to retrieve me from the ruins and enough off-world accounts to retire me to the beaches of Penhaxico Two", Max said. He looked at Rose at that. "Where the ladies, so I'm told, are very fond of metal..."

"You are disgusting", Rose spat. She felt her blood turn warmer. She closed her eyes for a second to ask the Wolf not to kill Max. He didn't deserve to die, he needed to go to prison.

"So that's the plan", the Doctor mused. "A retirement plan. Two thousand people on this ship, six billion underneath us, all of them slaughtered, and why? Because Max Capricorn is a loser."

"I never lose!"

"You can't even sink the Titanic", the Doctor pointed out.

"Oh, but I can, Doctor. I can cancel the engines from here."

The ship stuttered and the humm the engines had made turned off. That's when Rose lost the control of herself. She was still there and able to think but her muscels moved without her controlling them. Everything turned gold. The host stilled, the one holding the Doctor let go of him. Max looked at her and she could see the fear in his eyes.

"What's happening?" he asked.

"You can still end this, Max", Rose heard herself saying, although she didn't recognize it to really be her voice. "Turn back the engines and no one gets hurt."

"Host! Stop her!"

They didn't move.

"Move! Now! I am above them, you take my commands!"

"Information. Incorrect."

"See now, Max", the Wolf said gently. "There are things that you can't do. Things that I won't let you to do. Don't mess with the Bad Wolf."

Max's device started to reverse towards the safety room. Max started to curse loadly.

"No! No, stop!" he yelled. The Wolf reached out her hand and wiped the air and the doors closed Max behind them.

"Your safety place is now your prison until your verdict is given." with that the Bad Wolf let go and Rose almost fell. The Doctor took a hold of her waist.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Takes time to get used to that..."

"I think I'll never get use to that", he answered.

"Titanic falling", a voice informed them. "Voyage terminated. Voyage terminated."

"We better go", the Doctor said. The host looked at Rose. They seemed to wait what she had to say.

"Oh. Right. Yeah", she said. "Um. Me and the Doctor would like to go to the bridge, please."

And the host stepped closet, two to her and two to the Doctor, took a hold of their arms and flew. Rose grinned at the Doctor.

"We're flying!" she said happily.

"Yes we are!"

And the host hit the roof, breaking it. A scared voice screamed and the Doctor jumped up.

"Ah, midshipman Frame. At last", he said, helping Rose to clime up as well.

"But... but the Host", Frame said helplessly.

"Controller changed. They found a authority much greater than a cyborg. And that's her."

He smiled at Rose, who still felt a bit buzzled of it, and went to the shipwheel.

"There's nothing we can do. There's no power. The ship's going to fall", Frame said. He sounded like he had given up. Rose went to him.

The computer imformed them about Titanic's fall.

"It's not your fault", she said warmly. She noticed that he was bleeding and looked at the voum. "Is it bad?"

He shook his head slightly.

"Still hurst though", he said. Rose squeezed his shoulder.

"What's your first name?" the Doctor asked while taking a hold of the wheel.

"Alonso", Frame answered. The Doctor stopped dead and looked at him, eyes shining.

"You're kidding me", the Doctor said and a grin grew on his face. Rose couldn't help but grin as well. That one ridiculous thing he had said he would like to say the day she got sucked into the wrong universe and now they were there.

"What?" Frame asked, his confusion growing.

"That's something else I've always wanted to say", he said. "Allons-y, Alonso!"

And he started to spin the wheel. They hit the atmosphere and the alarm went off. For a while Rose saw just flames. The Doctor looked at something from a screen and groaned.

"Rose, do me a favour and call to Buckingham Palace."

Buckingham Palace? Right, ofcourse it was Buckinham Palace. She did as he told and hang the phone to the Doctor.

"Listen to me", the Doctor said, holding the phone between his shoulder and ear. "Security code seven seven one. Now get out of there!"

"Engined active", the computer informed. The Doctor pulled sharply up and the Titanic got up just in time. Rose breathed out and started to laugh.

"Bucingham Palace", she said. "You've never taken me there."

"Well, thinking of the fact that we were banished..."

And they both brust out laughing, Frame soon joining them.

#####

"So, Rickston, Astrid, Mr Copper, Foon, Stewart and Alonso! What shall I do with all of you?" the Doctor said as they arrived into the lobby where the survivors stood.

"I don't want home", Foon said quietly. "I don't want to go there without my Morvin."

"The engines have stabilised. We're holding steady till we get help, and I've sent the S.O.S. A rescue ship should be here within twenty minutes. And they're digging out the records on Max Capricorn. It should be quite a story..." Frame said. He smiled at Astrid who gave him a grin and he blushed.

"They'll want to talk to all of us, I suppose", Copper said sorrowfully.

"I'd have thought so, yeah."

"I think one or two inconvenient truths might come to light", Copper sighed. "Still, it's my own fault, and ten years in jail is better than dying."

"No", Rose said. "We can take you to Earth. You can have a proper life in there. Right, Doctor?"

"Really? I could do that?"

Rose looked at the Doctor who grinned.

"Ofcourse!"

"What about you Astrid?" Rose asked the girl. She smiled.

"I have this dream about seeing different stars", she said, dreamy look in her eyes. Frame smiled at that.

"I guess they give us money about the interviews", he said. "We could go together. I mean... if you wanted."

"Really?" Astrid asked, standing up and making a little happy hop. "I'd like that very much!" and she hugged him.

"Doctor", Slade said, coming to them. "I never said thank you", he gave him an awckward hug. "The funny thing is... I said Max Capricorn was falling apart", he almost laughed. "Just before the crash, I sold all my shares, transferred them to his rivals. It's made me rich. What do you think of that?" he turned to Rose and was about to hug her too, but Rose rised her hand and hit her on the nose. She felt the bone to break and the blood brusted out as Slade fell to the ground, crying in pain and holding his nose. Rose shook her hand.

"That felt good", she said and turned to look at Frame and Astrid flirting. She felt happy for them. How little it actually took for two people to find each other? Although, Titanic Space Ship almost crashing to Earth wasn't exactly little...

"Here", the Doctor said, giving Rose a teleport bracelet. She put it on, made sure Foon had her own and, as Frame saluted them, pushed the button. Everything turned around and then the view cleared. They were standing on a Hampstead Heath, the lawn was white and the TARDIS was near. It was snowing.

"Are you okay?" Rose asked Foon. She shook her head and tears filled her eyes.

"I miss him", she cried.

"I know", Rose said warmly. "But look! You're on Earth! You have a whole life to live in here!"

She nodded and tried to smile.

"Will I ever see you again?" she asked. Rose smiled.

"Maybe", she said.

"So, Great Britain is part of Europey", Rose heard mr Copper to say. "And just across the British Channel, you've got Great France and Great Germany."

She chuckled and the Doctor turned around, taking a few steps backwards.

"No, no, it's just, it's just France and Germany. Only Britain is Great."

"Wonder why", Rose muttered.

"Oh, and they're all at war with the continent of Ham Erica!"

"No. Well, not yet. Er, could argue that one", he paused and looked happily his ship. "There she is. Survive anything!"

"You know", Copper said sorrowfully. "I don't even think this snow is real. I think it's the ballast from the Titanic's salvage entering the atmosphere."

"Ofcourse", Rose said. "Every since I met the Doctor it has never been real snow."

"Yeah, but you never know. One of these days it might be real!"

"So, I... I suppose you'll be off", mr Copper said, looking between Rose and the Doctor.

"The open sky", the Doctor nodded.

"And, what about me and Foon? What are we supposed to do?"

"Give me that credit card", the Doctor said, reaching out his hand.

"It's just petty cash", Copper said. "Spending money. It's all done by computer. I didn't really know the currency, so I thought a million might cover it..."

"A million? Pounds?" the Doctor said, eyes wide.

"Oh, you could give me one of those", Rose teased. "If it's as easy as he says..."

"That enough for trinkets?" Copper asked.

"Mister Copper", the Doctor said, amused. "A million pounds is worth fifty million credits."

"How much?" mr Copper and Foon asked in union. Rose started to laugh.

"Fifty million and fifty six", the Doctor said, smiling widely.

"We've got money..."

"Yes, you have."

"Oh, my word. Oh, my Vot! Oh, my goodness me. Yee ha!"

The Doctor took part in Rose's laughter as mr Copper took Foon's hands and pulled her into a happy dance.

"It's all yours. Planet Earth", the Doctor said happily. "Now, that's a retirement plan! But just you be careful, though."

"We will, we will. Oh, we will!"

"No interfering!" the Doctor continued, pointing at them, what neither of them poropably didn't see as they were too happy to rejoyce of they sudden richness. "I don't want any trouble. Just, just have a nice life..."

"But I can have a house!" mr Copper said. "A proper house, with a garden, and a door, and! Oh, Foon, you can have one too! Oh, Doctor, I will make you proud. And I can have a kitchen with chairs, and windows, and plates, and...!"  
Mr Copper danced away and Foon followed him. The Doctor turned to Rose and took her hands into his. His wonderful presence in her mind made her smile. They stepped into the TARDIS.

"Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you... are you happy?"

"Yeah, of course."

"I was just thinking... because I can't give you all those things. House or carpets or doors..."

Rose smiled.

"I don't want any of that."

"Then what is it? Why do you look so unhappy?"

"It's nothing! It's just... Why me?"

"I love you", the Doctor said.

"Yeah, but why? All those people you've travelled with... Martha was a medical student and Reinette was a king's lover... what am I? I'm just a girl with no A-levels who happened to be there when you were alone."

"Rose", he said and took her hands into his. "You are not 'just' anything. You didn't just happen to be there, there was a reason that you were there, that you didn't give up, that I made an exeption and asked you twice. You were there when no one else would've been. You forgave me something that I never dared to think anyone would ever forgive me. You stayed with me over my regeneration. You, Rose Tyler, teatched me to live and laugh and _love_. So it's not about you not deserving me. It's about me not deserving you."

Those words brought tears into Rose's eyes and when she kissed him there was so much more in it than before and she knew she'd never want it to stop.


	5. Suspicious Dietpill

**A/N:** Hello readers! So, now it's time to move to the next adventure. I'll tell you that it's going to be quite canon, or at least it will be like it to the Doctor. That's the reason you're not going to have any of that. Please review, it would mean a lot to me!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own anything!

 **Suspicious Dietpill**

Rose woke up into a feeling that someone was staring at her. It was oddly comforting feeling and she took a moment to enjoy of it. She knew who was looking at her and the fact that she could feel his eyes on her made it all real. It was real. She felt his hand resting on her side. His skin was cool but unlike she had thought, it didn't really feel cold. She opened her eyes and saw Doctor's brown ones right before her. His smile went wild.

"Good morning Rose Tyler", he said happily.

"No mornings in the TARDIS Doctor", she answered and yawned. His grin grew even bigger.

"Oi, cheeky!" he said. Rose yawned again and turned to her back, letting his hand slide to her stomack. She closed her eyes.

"You're going to continue sleeping?" the Doctor asked, dissapointed.

"How long did I sleep?" she asked, eyes still closed.

"You had full eight hour hibranation", the Doctor said proudly.

"And you've been stareing at me the whole time?"

"No! Just... just three of them."

Rose peeked at him with one of her eye. He looked so ashamed and guilty that she started to laugh. The Doctor smiled at the sound.

"I've missed that", he said.

"What?"

"Your laughter."

She laughed again.

"And you said I'm different", she said, raised to lean on her elbow and kissed him. His hand went to her neck and he pulled her closer. Rose hummed and pulled off.

"As tempting as that would be, I'm hungry. And I haven't had proper chips in years."

Rose climed off the bed over him. She was wearing only his jersey and she bend to pick up her knickers from the floor.

"You want to go have chips? Now?"

He sounded so offended that she threw him with the knickers. They hit him on the face and he threw them away, shocked. Rose laughed again and opened the door to the bathroom.

"I want London and I want Spring. And chips. You can do rest."

"Well thanks", the Doctor said sarcastically.

"But first I'm gonna take a shower", she continued like she hadn't heard him. She opened the three buttons that were closed and smiled at him over her shoulder. "You wanna join?"

#####

"So then", the Doctor said as Rose was finally done with her hair and makeup. "I have Spring and I have London just as you wanted. It's a lovely day out there. We can sit on a bench and watch the people walking by and guess which one of them are out of their own time or aliens, you know, the basic stuff."

"We usually do that on other planets", Rose pointed out. "So please tell me this is the real Earth, not New Earth or New New Earth or anything like that."

"It's the real Earth", the Doctor said. "And it's the early twentyfirst century, two years after the Battle of Canary Warfh."

"Okay", Rose said. "So it's the Spring after..." she swallowed. "...after the death of President Winters?"

It felt easier to say that than 'the death of the Master'. She tried her best not to think of the Master. She knew that the Doctor didn't want to talk about it. And to be honest, neither did she. She just wanted to forget.

"Yeah", the Doctor said, sounding like he knew exactly what Rose was thinking. She forced a smile on her face but it turned into a real one as the Doctor answered with his marvellous grin.

"Well, let's go then", she said and the Doctor jumped to the door, pulling his coat on.

"While you were sleeping I was looking for clues about that thing you talked about", he said as he closed the TARDIS' door after them. "The stars going out. It's strange, because the TARDIS doesn't seem to know anything about it. I checked both the past and the future but nothing, not one clue. It's strange."

"It started to happen a bit more than a month before the countdown ended", Rose said.

"Doesn't help if what ever is happening isn't happening in time. And it seemes it isn't. It's started in Pete's world, hasn't it?" he asked and as Rose nodded he kept going. "So it happenes in every universe but in different times, different places. I need something more... something like a... like a star that I know has gone down, or dissapeared, or what ever, so I could follow the trace."

"What about the fluxes in the walls? I mean, they have to happen everywhere at the same time, yeah? Becaue if they were giving up on the other side and be solid from the other then I couldn't be here. Can't you follow that?"

She looked as the Doctor's worried ramblingface turned into a bit squircky smile.

"What?" she asked, a smile grewing.

"I love it when you're speaking sience", he said. Rose blushed. "But that's not working. The walls may be breaking and that puts everything in danger but it doesn't give me anything to follow. The walls aren't moving anywhere."

Rose sighed as she gave money from the chips. They sat down and Rose popped the first chip into her mouth and made a load "mmm" that made the Doctor blush. She giggled to his embarassment and put another into her mouth.

"As much as the Master tried to please me he never asked what I would like to eat", she said. "I didn't get chips once!"

She realized what she had just said and the smile died on her lips. The Doctor noticed it as well and opened the magazine that was on the chair next to him.

"And the fat just walks away", he said. Rose moved her eyes to him and then to the chips.

"Was that some kind of hint that I shouldn't eat chips?" she asked, more happy of the change of the subject than meaning what she said. He smirked at her.

"After how much weight you've lost since... since. No. It's just this new dietpill", he turned the magazine to show her the commersial. "Sounds weird, doesn't it?"

Rose shrugged.

"Every dietpill says the same", she said.

"So you don't think we should look into it?" he said, tapping the text. "People telling that they loose exactly seven pounds a week. That makes pound a day."

Rose titled her head and smiled.

"You're been so bored in the Valiant that you're seeing something omnious in everything, aren't you?"

He pouted and she laughed.

"We can go and look into it. That's fine."

"Good! Because I already have a plan!"

"Really?"

He took his psychic paper out of his pocket and waved it happily.

"Health and Safety. We can do anything with that label. You can be Healt and I'm Safety."

"You can be both, I have another idea", Rose said, pulling her hair away from her face and taking a serious look. "Besides. You'd be saftey?"

He pouted again.

"What's your plan then?" he asked, like he was suspisious whether it really would be better than his. And it was, actually, and she was pretty proud of her idea.

"I'm gonna be a reporter. People love talking to reporters if you tell them how much you admire them. The manager, what's his name?"

He arched a bow in a way that made Rose's stomack jumped in the loveliest way.

" _Her_ name is miss Foster. Here's a picture of her."

He showed her a small picture of a blonde woman who looked ready to shoot down anyone who she didn't like.

"Okay", she said. "Then I just admire her even more."

"Why a reporter?" the Doctor asked, leaning a bit closer.

"It worked for Sarah Jane, didn't it?" Rose more said than asked. "Besides. That's what I did during the two years in the parallel world. Diging out stuff. It was a bit harder without the psychic paper... Any way I could get one?"

Doctor's quirky smile was answer enough.

#####

She was up and ready to go in no time. She had dressed up as a grown woman, a pencilskirt and tunic that matched with it, knot her hair into a bun and put heels on her feet. She felt extremly uncomftorable. The Doctor was, as always, in his brown suit and walked down the ramp.

"Are you sure you don't want to be Health?"

"Do you want to know what's happening in Adipose Indusrties or not?"

He huffed but said nothing. Rose pulled her skirt as the Doctor closed the door.

"I hate this skirt", she muttered. "How can anyone wear skirts like this? It feels like it had a life of its own while it climbes up my legs. And what if they need to run?"

"I don't think normal people need to run so often as we do", the Doctor mused. "Besides, you look good in it."

She smacked him on the shoulder.

#####

When she stepped into the high building and told the guard that she was a reporter from New Yorker she was sent to a auditorio of some kind. There were already an audience, but it wasn't as big as she had hoped. There wasn't so much of an opportunity to blend in if something would happen. She wasn't sure why she was thinking something might happen. She still wasn't so sure that the Doctor was right. Then miss Foster climbed to the stage and started her presentation. It was dull and Rose lost her intrest to really listen, especially as she was sure that the Doctor was somewhere listening as well.

"Adipose Industries, the twenty first century way to lose weight", miss Foster said. "No exercise, no diet, no pain. Just lifelong freedom from fat. The Holy Grail of the modern age. And here it is. You just take one capsule. One capsule once a day for three weeks and the fat, as they say..."

She turned to the screen and a film started to roll.

"The fat just walks away."

Rose rolled her eyes. Someone stood up a couple rows before her. A young woman dressed like... well, like her.

"Excuse me, Miss Foster", she said. "If I could? I'm Penny Carter, science correspondent for The Observer. There are a thousand diet pills on the market, a thousand con men stealing people's money. How do we know the fat isn't going straight into your bank account?"

"Oh, Penny", miss Foster smiled unfriendly. "If cynicism burnt up calories, we'd all be as thin as rakes. But if you want the science, I can oblige."

She turned back to the screen and it kept going.

"Adipose Industries. The Adipose capsule is composed of a synthesised mobilising lipase, bound to a large protein molecule..."

Some molecule example stuff was shown. Rose sighed deeply, causing a ginger woman near her glance at her, amused. She smiled at her and she quickly turned away, like she was scared that she might be recognized. Rose looked at her for a while. Was she someone famous or someone who shouldn't be there? Or was she just making assumptions because the Doctor thought there was something strange in this?

"One hundred precent legal", miss Foster said and Rose turned her head quickly to her. "One hundred precent effective."

Well, that was a lot to say of a diet pill. Nothing was one hundred precent effective.

"But, can I just ask", Penny said stubbornly and Rose could see how it irritated miss Foster. "How many people have taken the pills to date?"

Miss Foster made a fake smile.

"We've already got one million customers within the Greater London area alone, but from next week, we start rolling out nationwide. The future starts here. And Britain will be thin."

#####

"Excuse me, miss Foster", Rose said, trying her best with an american accent and walking as fast as she could in her heels and narrow skirt. "I'm sorry to bother you but I have some questions..."

Miss Foster didn't stop or even slow down. She didn't look at Rose, which made her a bit angry, but she kept the smile on her face as she answered, rudely:

"I'm sorry miss, but I don't answer any questions."

"Oh, I'm sure you'd like to answer if you'd hear where I'm from", Rose said, taking out the psychic paper the Doctor had given her. "Rose Tyler from The New Yorker."

That indeed made miss Foster to stop. Rose grinned.

"I couldn't help but think that if you want to go nationwide I could help you there. Almost everyone in US are always after a new way to loose weight. And I'm positive that Adipose could be the new atckinson, even better, as you don't need to exercise. Just one pill a day and the fat just walks away!"

Miss Foster looked at her. Rose couldn't say that the smile on her face was warm but it was definitely not as cold as the one she had given to Penny Carter.

"And you know how much women love strong female leaders", Rose added the iceing to the top.

"Oh well, I'll give you five minutes. Follow me. I have to go and courage my employees first."

"That's great!", Rose exclaimed. She followed miss Foster to a large room where all the employees where selling those pills on phone.

"Excuse me, everyone, if I could have your attention!"

Everyone stood up in their boxes.

"On average, you're each selling forty Adipose packs per day. It's not enough. I want one hundred sales per person per day. And if not, you'll be replaced. Because if anyone's good in trimming the fat, it's me. Now. Back to it."

She turned to Rose.

"I believe that the only way to get best out of people is threat", she smiled icely. Rose nodded and wrote it down.

"You obviously aren't scared to be a leader", she said. She noticed the redhead from the auditorio to sneak to the printer. So she was up to something as well. Maybe she was a reporter like that Penny? Miss Foster's answer made her turn back to her.

"No. Why would I be? Nobody does what I do better than I."

"How exactly did you end up into this career?" Rose asked, writing to her notebook things like 'She's a bitch' and 'I bet she's an alien' and 'she's an alienbitch'. She tought that the Doctor would be so full of himself because he had found this out and she had doubted her.

"I wanted to give the world what it was looking for; a healthy and quicky way to lose weight."

"And succeeded", Rose nodded. "How exactly does the pills work? Didn't you develop them?"

"Yes", she said with a light voice, not answering her first question. Rose wrote it down but kept the fake smile on her face.

"So, your next plan is go worldwide. What about then? Intergalactical?" she joked. Miss Foster's smile wasn't exactly amused.

"If we only could."

#####

"She doesn't want to talk about how the pills work", Rose said. "There's definitely something weird going on in there."

"Told you", the Doctor said, taking something out of his pocket and placeing in on the console. "They give everyone this pendant, and it's eighteen carat gold. And that's worth a lot. How can they afford to it?"

Rose leaned to look at the pendant.

"Well that's not a pretty one. You'd think people just sell them or something. Why would anyone want use that?"

"I guess it's the value more than the look", the Doctor said.

"Do you think it does something?" she asked, looking at it close by.

"Definitely yes", the Doctor said. "Something to do with the Adipose pills. I just don't know what. We should go and meet someone who's taking them. Maybe it will tell us what we are againt with."

Rose grinned.

"Is Adipose a planet?" she asked, leaning againt the console next to the Doctor. He glanced at her.

"I don't know. May as well be. Aspirin is a planet. And there's a whole solar system for a Vitamins from A to M."

He took his glasses from his inner pocket, put them on and typed something. Those glasses gave always Rose a strange tickle on her stomach. This time it was stronger than usual and she got a sudden need to kiss him. She let go with it. It wasn't like she had done this before and she kind of wanted to know how it was. She grabbed his lapels and pulled him into a kiss. She felt him blush, more in his mind than actually, and then melting into it.

"What was that for?" he asked, belwidered look on his face. Rose giggled and ruffled his hair with one hand.

"Just the affect of your sexy specs", she said and gave him a peck on the lips. He stared at her for a while, cleared his throat and turned back to the screen. His ears were red and Rose felt strange satisfaction about it.

"Mm", he said and kept his eyes strictly on the screen. "There seems to be three Adipose planets. Numbered from one to three, actually. First one is the smallest, it's for the goverment. The second one is where they live. Third one is their breeding planet", he frowned. "It looks like they have sent a distress call a few weeks ago. It was answered by the Shadow Proclamation, though..."

The typed something, nodded, took his glasses away and turned to Rose.

"Anything we should be worried about?"

"I don't know yet. At least we should go and take care of this diet thing before investigateing that. Who knows, they might have something to do with each other, in which case we'll be able to take care of both of them at the same time! How brilliant would that be?"

#####

Rose went to change to and unleash her hair from the bun. She threw the skirt to the basket of dirty clothes and pulled on her old Star Trek themed T-shirt she had bought just to tease the Doctor, and jeans. They felt a size too big and she needed a belt. She needed to fetch one from the dressingroom as she didn't use belts. She ignored the new, black skinnyjeans the TARDIS offered her. There was no way she'd put them on, they looked far too uncomftorable. Then the TARDIS gave her a full shelve filled with jeans. She sighed. She really wasn't in the mood of finding jeans that would fit, so she just grabbed the first ones she saw and pulled them on. She was happy to find out that they were perfect, likely because of the TARDIS. Although, she really didn't want to know how the TARDIS knew her size that well. After that she headed to the consoleroom where the Doctor looked around himself like he had so many times before when he didn't realize she wasn't in the room. There came a wide grin on his face as he saw Rose and she couldn't help but answer it.

"Alright-y then! We need to go back to the Adipose Industries tomorrow. What do you think, will you be Health this time?"

"What, do you mean we go there in the morning? To do what?"

"We go and hide in a closet!" the Doctor said, almost jumping of exitement. "Ooh, I haven't done that for ages!"

"What, hide in a closet? Why?"

"Wait for the night to come. Then we can go and investigate!"

"Wait..." Rose said. "Why do we have to hide in a closet? Why not just go in when the place is closed? Sure your sonic works for alarms?"

He stopped and frowned.

"You know what Rose? That is exactly why I need you here. If you hadn't said that I propably would've gone there tomorrow morning and hide in a broomcloset the whole day."

"That would drive you mad", Rose pointed out.

"Well, not if you were there with me", he said stepping a bit closer, smile on his face. His hand went to her hip and she found out exactly what he had been thinking. A flirtatiuos smile pulled on her lips. She arched a bow.

"Oh?"

"Oh yes."


	6. Donna Noble, Welcome Aboard

**A/N:** Hello readers! I apologize each and every mistake I make. I'm currently looking for a beta (so if you know someone to recommend, tell me) so they hopefully end at some point. Anyway. I would still love to know whether you like this or not and if you'd like to have more. I promise that this is going to be more interesting once Donna joins them ;)

 **Disclaimer:** Not mine.

 **Donna Noble, Welcome Aboard**

About hour and a half later they were heading to meet some client of Adipose Intrusdies. The Doctor was telling her how just seconds after he had said goodbye to her he had found a bride from the TARDIS.

"Donna Noble was her name", the Doctor mused. "She was great and a very load one as well. Shouted so load that I heard her when I was half in the vortex already."

Rose laughed and felt his thrill and joy run to her throw their linked hands. It felt so familiar and good and safe to hold his hand again. She knew she had missed the feeling, but this much? It was like a hole in her was now filled.

"And then she said 'dinosaur'", the Doctor told her. "She was actually thinking that there might be a dinosaur down there."

She smiled and let herself enjoy how she was almost able to see it. They weren't actual pictures, not in the way the Bad Wolf showed her the future, but more like his memories, vivid and really true but still not exactly visible. When he thought about Donna she was able to picture her, like she was able to picture her mother. It felt like she knew her from somewhere but she couldn't put her finger on it. Or maybe it was only because she shared the memory with the Doctor?

"Was she ginger?" Rose asked. "Aww, you must be so jealous!"

"I'm never gonna get away with the gingerthing, am I", he muttered. "I shouldn't have said it."

Rose pulled his hand a bit as they turned to a yard. The Doctor took out his phsycic paper and rang the doorbell.

#####

"Before we head to the Adipose Indtusdies tomorrow night", the Doctor began. "There's something that we should do."

"What?" Rose asked, a bit worried of Doctor's serious expression.

"Some tests", he said. "I know that we did a lot of them during the year that never was. But we really need to find out what's going on. So, do you mind?"

Rose couldn't say that she was happy about it but she also knew it was nessessary. So she nodded.

"Do what you must", she said.

#####

So they spent few hours in a room filled with bottles and scanners and weird gizmos that Rose had absolutely no idea what they did. The Doctor took a bloodsample, a skinsample and scanned her not only with his sonic screwdriver but also with two other devices. The results were shown on a screen, in gallifreyan, and Rose leaned forward in her chair.

"What does it say?" she asked. The Doctor frowned.

"Well", he began. "I don't know how to say this."

"Straight and honestly", Rose suggested. He smiled at her weakly and sighed.

"Come here and look yourself", he said, gesturing to a telescope. Rose jumped sown from the medbed and bent to look through the device. She saw a small piece of something red with shapes of gold in it.

"Okay. What am I looking?" she asked.

"You know that if you take an atom of something it is just on ingredient? There can't be more than one chemical element in an atom?"

Rose nodded slowly. Chemistry wasn't her strongest subject in school but that much she knew. And that was likely all she knew about that matter, so if this was going to be anyhow more comlicated she was not going to understand it.

"Well, that's one of your atoms. Split atom, actually. And in your body, your atoms... they have two ingridients in them."

"What does that mean?" Rose asked, unsurely.

"It means that... I don't know", he looked more unhappy of the fact that he didn't know than worried about the fact that he didn't know. "Anyhow, it seems that your biological code has changed completely. Every single atom of your body has but the chemical element it is supposed to be, also another element. So... all that I can say is that... time is now part of you."

"Time?" Rose repeated. "But time isn't something you can touch, right?"

"Right", he said. "Expect for you."

"What does that mean, then?" she asked.

"I don't know", he said again, even more unhappy. "The TARDIS DNA in you includes time itself. There's the time vortex inside the TARDIS and you absorbed it. That means you are connected to the TARDIS. This TARDIS. And... my guess would be that you live as long as this TARDIS does."

Rose stared at him.

"You mean my lifespan is connected to the TARDIS?"

"Yeah."

She felt dizzy. Didn't TARDISes live, like, forever? The idea was overwhealming. She took her forehand to her head and closed her eyes. The Doctor laid his hand on her shoulder and she opened her eyes. He looked serious and sad.

"I'm sorry."

She shook her head and laid her hand over his.

"Don't be. It's okay. It's just... a bit strange idea", she paused. "But doesn't that mean that... that we can have our forever?" she asked, a tiny bit of hope sneaking into her voice. She wasn't sure if she should've said it out load. But it was something she had thought a lot, back while she was just a human, back in the parallel universe, back with the Mas... Back in the year that never was. But there was a light in his eyes that warmed her heart.

"Yeah, yeah it does."

She smiled and put her hand to his neck, pulling him to a kiss. She felt his greatfullness and amaze and exitement and a hint of fear and a loads of love.

#####

The next night they headed to the Adipose building, the Doctor soniced their way in and they walked to the nearest stairs.

"We should separate", Rose said. "As we don't know exactly what we are looking for."

"What does that help?" the Doctor asked, unwilling to let her go on her own.

"What does it help that we go together?" Rose questioned.

"You don't even know what we are looking for", the Doctor said.

"Neither do you."

He scoweld at her and gave up, shakeing his head.

"Fine. I'll start from the bottom and you start from the top."

"Aww, I want to start from the bottom!" Rose said with her best smile on her lips. "All exiting always happenes in the bottom!"

He frowned at her.

"That's unfair, you know that I can't say no to you when you smile like that."

Rose laughed a little and squeezed his hand.

"Well?"

"Alright! You start from the bottom. I take an elevator to go up and you use stairs. Is that okay?"

"Yes."

"Good."

He dropped her hand and ran to the elevators, stopped, turned and ran back.

"Did you forgot something?" Rose asked as he stopped right in front of her.

"Yeah. That I can do this."

He kissed her. She smiled against his lips before pushing him gently away.

"Elevators?" she said. He pouted.

"Okay. See you soon."

He kissed her again before heading back to the elevators. Rose took out a torch and climbed to the first floor.

#####

It was strange to be in the building in the middle of the night. Not the first time she did it though, but still strange. It felt so forbidden it made her heart race. The darkness and the silence... anything could be behind the next corner. Who knew what kind of an alien miss Foster really was? Maybe the human apparance was an illusion. That wouldn't be the first time. Rose climbed to the third floor and, wishing she had a sonic herself, picked up the lock to get into an office. Her investigateing had been useless this far. She had not found any proofs of Adipose being alien stuff. She wondered how it was going with the Doctor, thinking of the phone she had secretly slipped into his pocket and thinking if she should call him. No, se shouldn't. There was no use calling him if she didn't need him. The lock clicked and she opened the door silently. It was an office like all the others with a way too clean desk. She opened the darws, closets and read through some papers. Nothing. She sighed, leaving the room. She was halfway the next corridor when her eyes met the same ginger she had seen twice before. She was standing on a door and waveing with her hands, mouting something to someone she saw. Rose stared at her, confused and amazed and really not knowing what was going on. The suddenly she stopped in the middle of something that was likely a sentence. Rose pulled behind the corner to hide. Few seconds later the ginger ran around the corner to the opposite side from Rose, towards the stairs. Rose heard several gunshots and being certain that this was definitely not a place to be right now, she ran to the other side and hid into an open office. She would've wanted to run after them to make sure the ginger was alright but knew better. She might have as long lifespan as the TARDIS but it didn't mean she was immortal. So she sat on the floor and waited.

#####

She waited a good, long, boring and safe while before heading out from the office and heading to the office where the ginger had been looking. There was the reporter, what was her name? Penny something? sitting on a chair, tied to it. Rose rushed to her and untied her.

"What are you doing here?" Rose asked. "Go, quickly, there's guys with guns around."

"Yeah, I know", Penny said, but instead of running out she went to look through the files.. "I don't care. They can't shoot me."

"Come on! We gotta get out of here" Rose said impatiently and left, ran towards the stairs. She was halfway down when she realized Penny wasn't following. She stopped, groaned and climbed up again. That's when she heard shouting and running from the stairs. She quickly withdrew to the corridors and waited. Had someone found her? The silence fell heavily over her. She peaked out. Nothing but an empty corridor. She went to the stairs, looking up and down. She was pretty sure that the steps had gone down so she did as well. On the bottom floor, just few steps away from the stairs, laid two guards. She kneeled down to check them, took out her phone and diealed the number and waited.

"Doctor's phone, Donna speaking", came an answer. Rose's mouth opened.

"Donna?" she asked, confuced. "Donna Noble?"

"Who is this?"

"Put it on the speakerphone", Doctor's voice came somewhere far.

"I don't know how!"

"Push the button that says speakerphone!"

Rose waited for a second.

"Doctor?"

"Rose! Where are you!"

"I'm on the lowest floor. There's two unconsious, armed guards over here."

"Yeah, that would be me", the Doctor said. "They'll be fine in half an hour."

"Where are you?" Rose asked, standing up.

"In the broomcloset."

Ofcourse he was.

"I'll be there in a mo."

She hang up and ran. She saw further away that the whole closet had been emptied to the hall and slied to stop infront of the door.

"Hey", she said, breathless. "What's going on?"

She noticed that the backwall of the closet was moved away and there was a machine of some kind behind it.

"She's started the program", the Doctor said, sonicing the machine.

"What program?"

"The program that uses the incredients of the pill to turn fat in the body into a adipose babies", the Doctor said hurriedly.

"What?" Rose asked.

"The pills turn people into little blugs of fat", Donna said, surprisingly calm. "So you're -."

"And the Matron had gone up to emergency parhogenesis", the Doctor cut her.

"What does that mean?" Rose asked.

"That they convert everything, skeletons, organs... a million people are gonna die!" he sounded paniced, trying to figure out how the machine actually worked. "Got to cancel the signal! This contains the primary signal. If I can switch it off the fat goes back to begin just fat."

He took the golden pill out of his pocket and hooked it up to the machine. It turned off. But the joy was short, as it started up again, and somehow it sounded worse this time.

"No no nonono! She's doubled it. I need... haven't got time!" Doctor's voice was tense and he sounded desperate. A sound that always made Rose nervous as it was heard so rarely. "It's too far! I can't overide it! They're all gonna die!"

"There must be a way!" Rose couraged him.

"Is there anything I can do?" Donna asked.

"Sorry, Donna", the Doctor said, sounding more paniced that Rose felt good. "This is way beyond you! Gotta double the base pulse, I can't..."

Rose stepped closer and touched lightly his shoulder, trying to calm hims down with her presence. Donna kept her calmness.

"Doctor", she said sternly. "Tell me what do you need."

"I need a second capsule to boost the override", he answered clearly on the edge. "But I've only got the one. I can't save them!"

And Rose saw Donna rising up a identical golden capsule, grin on her face. It wasn't long until Doctor's surprise turned into a grin as well. He took the capsule and pluged it into the machine as well. The machine hissed and the lights turned off.

"Did it work?" Rose asked, even though she knew the answer.

"Yeah!" the Doctor half sighed, hald exclaimes, picking up Rose and swirling her around. She laughed happily, feeling his joy of a succeed and her precense before he put her down. They all looked at each other for a moment. Then a load hornlike sound echoed in the dark hallways and was followed a voice that sounded so alien that Rose cracked into a huge grin.

"What the hell was that?" Donna asked.

"It's the nurseryship", the Doctor said. He took a firm hold of Rose's hand and looked at her. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Incoming signal", the computer informed them. It was followed by a alien language. Doctor's eyebrows rised and his eyes darkened a little. Donna turned to Rose.

"So you're Ro -"

"Hang on", the Doctor cut her again. "Instructions from the Adiposian First Family... She's wired up the tower block to convert it into a levitation post", he transleted roughly. "Oh. Ooh. We're not the ones in trouble now", he paused. "She is!"

With that he turned and ran out of the closet and towards the elevators, followed by Rose and Donna. As they stepped into the elevator and the Doctor sent them to the highest level Donna turned to look at Rose.

"So you're Rose", she said.

"Yeah?"

"He found you", Donna said happily.

"Well, actually", Rose said smiling. "I found him."

"That's even better! You go girl!"

Rose laughed at the Doctor's buzzled face.

"How do you know who I am?" she asked Donna.

"Well, when I first met him he was all puppyeyed and telling that he had this friend he lost and that her name was Rose."

"Aww, you really told about me?" Rose giggled, pumbing the Doctor with her hip. He blushed slightly and rubbed his neck. The elevator stopped and they stepped out, finding their way to the roof. Rose stopped still as she saw the sky. It was full of levivating white blugs of fat. Her mouth opened a little with surprise. This wasn't what she had been expecting.

"What you gonna do now?" Donna asked as they looked around. "Blow them up?"

Rose turned to frown at her. What was she on about? Why would the Doctor blow them up?

"They're just children", the Doctor said. "They can't help where they come from."

"Oh, that makes a change from last time", Donna muttered.

"What last time?" Rose asked. "Do you mean he blew up babies last time you met?"

"I'll tell you later", the Doctor said hastly. Rose rised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Promise", he added. They turned to look at the fatbabies. One of them waved at them and they waved back. It felt surrealist.

"I'm waving at fat", Donna said like she couldn't really believe it. And to be honest, neither did Rose.

"Actually, as a diet plan, it sort of works", the Doctor mused. Then he noticed miss Foster. "There she is!"

He pulled Rose to follow him to the edge of the roof. Donna walked behind them. Miss Foster was flying on the air and looked at them with solem dispite.

"Matron Cofelia, listen to me!" the Doctor pealed.

"Oh, I don't think so, Doctor. And if I never see you again, it will be too soon", she said softly.

"Oh, why does no one ever listen?" the Doctor muttered. The he turned to speak to miss Foster again. "I'm trying to help! Just get across to the roof. Can you shift the levitation beam?"

"What, so that you can arrest me?"

"Just listen. I saw the Adiposian instructions. They know it's a crime, breeding on Earth. So what's the one thing they want to get rid of? Their accomplice!"

Rose looked at the Doctor and realized. She, too, tried to peal to miss Foster.

"They're gonna kill you."

"How would I know you don't lie to me, miss Tyler from the New Yorker?"

Rose shook her head.

"Please..."

"No, they wouldn't kill me. I'm far more than that a accomplice in a crime. I'm nanny to all these children."

"Exactly!" the Doctor said worriedly. "Mum and Dad have got the kids now, they don't need the nanny anymore!"

And that's when the beam that had rised miss Foster so high turned off. They had just enough time to see her shock before she fell. Rose turned her head away. She felt bad that this had happened. That they couldn't save her.

"We tried", the Doctor said and squeezed her hand. She smiled weakly.

"Yeah. We did. Still, I'm sorry it ended this way."

#####

They headed put of the building to the streets that were full of paniced people and polices. The Doctor took something from his pocket.

"Rose", he said suddenly. "Now that you have your own piece of psychic paper... do you think you'd need something else?"

"Like what? A sonic screwdriver?" she snorted. Like he'd ever give her that.

"No. Not a _screwdriver_."

She turned to look at him, mouth open.

"What?"

He was holding something. A pen, she noticed, or at least something very much like a pen.

"Is that... is that a sonic pen?"

"Ye-p", the Doctor said, popping the p. Slowly a grin came into Rose's face.

"Can I have it?"

"Well, I think that you've crossed the line of 'freguent passanger' to a..." he paused and frowned. "A habitant", he ended. "And as there hasn't been a habitant on the TARDIS before I think that the thing that belongs to a habitant is her very own sonic instrument."

He gave the pen to Rose, who looked at it, already found to it.

"Thank you!" she said and rised to her tiptoes, kissing him on the cheek.

"Oi! You two!"

A woman, tied to a chair, half ran half stumbled past them. It was Penny. Rose rolled her eyes.

"You're just mad!" she shouted to them. "Do you hear me? Mad! And I'm gonna report you... for madness!"

And she ran away.

"Journalists", the Doctor said, like it'd explained everything.

"You see, some people just can't take it", Donna said. Rose nodded.

"No", the Doctor agreed.

"But some people can", Donna said and grinned. "So then. TARDIS!"

Rose opened her mouth. Had they made an agreement? Was she coming with them?

"Come on!" Donna said, taking a hold of Doctor's hand and pulling it. Rose followed them to an hallway they had parked the TARDIS. Donna stopped, looking amazed.

"That's my car!" she exclaimed, pointing at the blue car on the alley. "That is like destiny! And I've been ready for this."

She rushed to the car and opebed the boot. It was full og suitcases. Rose glanced at the Doctor who looked just as shocked as she felt.

"I packed ages ago, just in case. Cos I thought, hot weather, cold weather, no weather..." Donna babbled on, taking a suitcase after another and throwing them into Doctor's arms. "...he goes anywhere, I've gotta be prepared."

She took out a hatbox and Rose couldn't keep the giggle in. The Doctor, however, looked stunned.

"You've got a... a... hatbox?" he said.

"Planet of the hats, I'm ready!" Donna said, sounding exited.

"Yeah, well, not hats but there was that one of shoes", Rose said. "You don't have a hundred shoebox in there, do you?"

They headed towards the TARDIS, Donna still babbling.

"Do I need injections though, do I?" Donna asked suddenly. "Like when you go to Cambodia, is there any of that? 'Cos my friend Veena went to Bahrain, and..." she fell silent, looking at the Doctor, who looked serious. "You're not saying much", she said quietly.

"No, it's just..." he began and looked at Rose. "It's a funny old life, in the TARDIS."

"You don't want me", Donna realized, sounding extremely sad.

"I'm not saying that", the Doctor said.

"But you asked me", Donna pointed out. "Is it because you got Rose now? You don't need anyone else?"

"No, it's not that. But... last time, with Martha, like I said it... it got complicated. And that was all my fault..."

"Doctor..." Rose said gently. "I don't think this will go there."

"Where?" Donna asked. Then her eyes went large. "What? No! I'm not having any of that nonsense. I mean you're just a long streak of... nothing. You know, alien nothing."

Rose brust out laughing and Doctor's face didn't help her to get it together as he looked like he didn't know whether to be relieved or offended.

"There we are, then", he said.

"I can come?" Donna asked.

"Well, it depends of Rose..."

"Ofcourse you can!" Rose exclaimed, grinning widely.

"I'd love it", the Doctor admitted.

"Oh, that's just..." Donne began, hugging first Rose and then, turning to the Doctor, her arms open, she stopped.

"Car keys!"

"What?" the Doctor asked, confused of the change of the subject.

"I've still got my mum's car keys! I won't be a minute!" she rushed away. The Doctor sighed and took the suitcases in the TARDIS. Rose followed him and closed the door.

"You're sure it's okay if she comes?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah, 'course", Rose said. "Why wouldn't it be?"

He shrugged.

"Just thought... you just got back... haven't been anywhere, just the two of us..."

Rose smiled softly and kissed him shortly.

"I think we'll have plenty of time to do that. If the tests are right and I do live a long, long life", she added. The Doctor smiled.

"Yeah."

"I'll go and make us some tea", she said, kissing him again and leaving the console room.

#####

She pulled the door half closed behind her and walked to the kettle. Suddenly it was very quiet. Echoing quiet. She realized that this was the first time she was alone after the Master had died. Well, she had been alone in the Adipose building but then she had had so many other things to think about. Now it all came crushing to her mind. The hollow look in his face. His last words. The vision of his mind ripping apart. A horrible, strangling feeling took her breath away. She opened the closet to find something else to think, anything else to think. Now she knew exactly why the Doctor was running all the time, why he never stopped and left before the dust had really fallen, why he always had someone to travel with. He was afraid of the silence. And that silence was heavy and pressing and Rose couldn't breath. She heard the TARDIS to start and grabbed the kettle from the stove before the water had boiled and headed back to the console room.

"Here we are, open the door", the Doctor said, steading the TARDIS. Donna went to the door and Rose stopped next to the Doctor.

"I thought we were in a flight", she said.

"We are", the Doctor answered. "She wants to wave a goodbye to her granddad."

"Oh."

Just then Donna started to wave to the air and Rose bend over the Doctor to see out. On the ground there was a whitehaired old man with a telescope. As he saw them he started to wave and jump. Rose smiled.

"He seemes happy to see her go. Not at all like my mom."

"Or Martha's", the Doctor nodded. "She slapped me", he continued. Rose laughed.

"You should stop stealing daughters away from their moms", she said. The Doctor grinned at her. She felt better. It was the noise, it had to be, and the running. She didn't want to stay alone again and have all those memories rushing over her. She slipped her hand into his and felt his exitement of Donna and happiness of her and leaned her head against his shoulder. Donna closed the door.

"I'm gonna miss my gramps", she said as she walked up the ramp. "But he wanted me to go. He said it when I told him about meeting the Doctor and regretting not to go with him."

"So you'll be looking for him?" Rose asked. Donna nodded.

"For ages", she added.

"Why?" Rose asked. "Did he kiss you too?"

She felt Doctor's shock and saw the same in Donna's face.

"What? No! That would be gross!"

"Oi!"

Rose started to laugh so hard she almost dropped to her knees.

"Rose", the Doctor whined. "That's not funny!"

"Yeah, it actually is", Rose giggled.

"You didn't seem to think kissing me was gross just a moment ago", he huffed. Rose grinned.

"No, I think kissing you is lovely."

To prove her point she kissed him. His hands went immidiately to her waist and she wondered how long this eagerness would last. He answered that it would never stop.

"Oi!" Donna's load shout made them jump apart. "No funny buisness while I'm around!"

The Doctor blushed and rubbed his neck as Rose giggled.

"Sorry."

"I can see you youngsters have been away from each other", Donna said with a teasing smile. Rose laughed and went to her, taking her hands in hers.

"Donna Noble, I think that I just might like you a lot. Welcome aboard."

#####

 **A/N:** So here we are, Donna's arrived! The next chapter is my own original adventure kind of a thing. See you then, hopefully!


	7. Seeking for Noise

**A/N:** Hello again and thank you BadWolfGirl01 for your kindness of even thinking of being my beta :) I haven't found one yet, but I'm still looking. So try to stand me and my mistakes! Anyway, here's my original piece. It's not an adventure exactly, but the story kind of needed this before other things start to happen. I hope you enjoy it anyway! Please tell my what you think!

 **Disclaimer:** The usual.

 **Seeking for Noise**

It happened quite easily, Donna slipping into their lives. She was there to tease them when their flirting got out of hands. She was there to remind them that there were more importan things to do than poke each others. Rose really enjoyed her company, mostly because she made noise when it started to get too quiet.

#####

Their first trip with Donna was meant to be Rome but ended up being Pompeii. Rose, though, missed it all. The moment she stepped out of the TARDIS door the Bad Wolf woke up, but this time it wasn't just a flash or two. It was constant and horrible, her mind filled with images of past and present and future and they were all mixed up together into a mess where she couldn't pick up one or another. She saw Jackie pregnant, Pete holding baby-Rose, Hindenburg accident, her first kiss with Mickey, an eyless humanoid in a wheelchair, Donna crying, a mountain expoding, her first kiss with Jimmy, a woman with very curly hair in a spacesuit, her first kiss with the Doctor, her first Doctor chatching her before she hit the fround, the Master dying, the Master laughing, the Master screaming.

"Make it stop", she had cried, and as the Doctor couldn't do it, he put her out and she woke up hours later from the TARDIS and the Doctor told her, dark look in his acient eyes, what had happened. Pyrovillians had planned to congure the Earth and Vesuvius had opened a rift in Pompeii, giving some normal humans the gift of foresight. And the Bad Wolf, with already having the skills of foresight, had gone wild. It was the only explanation he could came up with, and as Rose was new with this and didn't control her other side perfectly, it had taken over and hadn't found a way to stop itself.

#####

Later that night, after Donna had gone to bed and Rose felt strong enough to leave the bed and follow the Doctor into the consoleroom to talk with him about what he had found out about Adipose Three, the lost planet. That was that it was really indeed lost, and he tried to track it down. But there was really nothing to find. It worried him and Rose could tell it, even if he didn't say anything.

"Pyrovillian", he said slowly, behind his hands. "That's a lost planet as well."

"Can you find that?" Rose asked.

"I can't understand. Planets don't get lost", he said, baffled, not minding about Rose's words. "I mean, they can explode, or die, or get diserted or, in one peculiar case, get catapulted out of a dying galaxy, but they don't dissapear without letting any traces behind."

"Well, obviously two planet has gone missing now", Rose said. "So we need to think how that can be."

And the Doctor ran some more tests with no results.

#####

Other than that, everything was just fine. But, as well as she succeeded to shut the thoughts out during the day she couldn't avoid them in the nights. She fell asleep in the Doctor's arms every nights, him smoothing her mind, telling her stories of his adventures with Martha, but he couldn't stop her seeing nightmares.

The Master stood before her, his skull flashing through his skin, his eyeballs big and scary.

"You did this to me!" he yelled. He was carring a crowbar and hit it against a streetlamp. "One! Two! Three! Four!" and he laughed maniacally. "This is your fault! You did this! You!"

She woke up into her own scream and tears, not knowing if it was just a nightmare or glimpse of the future. She automatically reached for the Doctor, but her hand touched the empty side of the bed. She sat up and looked around. It was dark, she had no idea what time it was but normally the TARDIS lit the lights when the morning, in the lack of a better word, came.

"Doctor?" she tried, in case he was in the bathroom, but there was no answer. She climbed out of the bed, brains still unfunctioning after waking up, went to the closet and pulled her jeans out. Something dropped to the floor. She tried to see what it was but it was too dark.

"Little light, please?" she whispered. A dim light came and Rose's eyes met a ring on the floor. Her heart leaped. She had forgotten the ring. How had she forgotten it? She picked it up and looked at it. It was a thick silver ring with a green jewerel and gallifreyan writing on it. The Master's ring. She swallowed and turned her head away. Her stomack went into knots. Why had she left the ring there and not put it into a drawer? If it hadn't dropped from her pocket it hadn't reminded her of him. Thinking of him made breathing hurt. She felt tears burning her eyes.

"Rose?" Doctor's voice came from the door. She clenched the ring into her fist and turned around, smiling. The Doctor looked at her, her jeans on the floor and then her again. "Why are you up?"

She shrugged.

"Couldn't sleep. You weren't here", there was a hint of blame in her voice and she wondered where it came from. The Doctor didn't need to sleep, and she certainly hadn't asked nor did she wait for him to stay in the bed the whole night with her.

"I made a few readings", he said. "About Pyrovillian. Thought to check it out if that had something to do with Adipose Three", he paused and seemed to notice her clenched hand but said nothing about it. "You've been sleeping less than two hours. I didn't wait for you to wake up just yet."

"I had a nightmare", she confessed. Suddenly she had an urge to tell him about it.

"What about?" he asked, reaching out for her hand and pulling her to sit down. She was still holding the ring thightly in her fist, letting the Doctor caress her other hand.

"It was about... about the M-master."

That broke her. She didn't know if it was just saying his name out load or the fact how she felt how much it stung the Doctor as well. Tears started to pour down her cheeks and she clenched her fist so hard that the edges of the jewerel bit into her palm. The Doctor took his other hand to her neck and pulled her into a comforting hug. She took her fist against her chest, hide her face against his jersey and cried. She felt his warm presence in her mind, how it filled every empty corner, and she let the doors wide open, and even though she wasn't sure if he would take it, she poured all her sorrow over him. His body tensed for a second and she noticed a small change in their link but she couldn't tell what it was. She was too tired to think of it.

"You should go back to sleep", the Doctor said gently as her sobs started to ease down. She sniffed.

"What did the readings say?" she asked, not wanting to talk about sleeping. She was too unsettled and scared to sleep just yet.

"Pyrovillian dissapeared long before Adipose. It's a cold case, no one knows what happened. It's unlikely that they have anything to do with each others."

"If two planets dissapeare without a trace?" Rose said, not believing he could be serious. It certainly seemed to be as likely as any other option now that everything was so big mystery. "Can't someone... I don't know... steel planets from time?"

She felt his smile against her hair.

"Well, technically yes. But it would take an awful lot of energy. And as long as we can't tell who would do that, why he or she would do that and where would he or she get the energy to do that there's not much we can do."

She sighed.

"So there's no help of knowing that two planets are lost?"

"I'm afraid not."

She sighed again. His mind wrapped around hers made her sleepy. She wasn't sure if it was the fact that she had slept only two hours before the nightmare had woken her up or did the Doctor help her, but soon after that she fell asleep.

#####

"Morning", Rose greeted Donna when she stepped into the kitchen. She gave her a deathly glare and Rose almost spit her tea out of laughter.

"Not a morning person?"

Donna gave her a murderous scowl. Rose bit her lip not to laugh. There had been a time when she was the one who refused to leave the bed if she hadn't slept at least ten hours, not even if the Doctor threatened to kick the door in or take them into a very boring place. Now, on the other hand, he woke her up with much more plesant ways. She blushed slightly. Luckily Donna was her back at her, making a cup of tea.

"Where are we going today?" Donna asked as the Doctor stepped into the kitchen. He was wearing a blue suit and Rose stared at him. What was that suit? Blue?

"Where would you like to go?" the Doctor asked. Donna shrugged.

"Somewhere nice. Something that doesn't include exploding volcanos."

"What's that suit?" Rose said. Both the Doctor and Donna turned to look at her. "It's... blue", she explained.

"Don't you like it?" the Doctor asked, a bit worried. Rose looked him up and down and Donna groaned.

"Please don't undress him in front of me", she begged.

"I'm not undressing him! I'm dressing him up!" she half laughed.

"Is it bad?" the Doctor asked, more worried. Rose shook her head.

"It's fine. Just new. Give me time, I get used to it. If I got used to a new new Doctor I don't think a new suit will be a problem."

The Doctor grinned widely and Rose, before it would go too far, changed the subject.

"What about a ball?" she said. "We haven't been in a ball for ages!"

"There was a ball on Titanic", the Doctor pointed out.

"Yeah, but I'd like to have a ball where I could keep the same heels on through the whole night."

"A ball would be great!" Donna exliamed, clapping her hands. "There's men!"

Rose laughed. She really did like Donna, a lot. She was brilliant. And she knew that the Doctor liked her as well, even though she did pick them up all the time.

"Okay, ball it is", the Doctor grinned. "I have actually a brilliant idea! What would you think of Henry the Eighth?"

"You suggested that to Martha", Rose said. "So that means you really want to meet him."

"Isn't he the one who executed all his wives?" Donna asked.

"That's him!" the Doctor said cheerfully, missing Donna's consern. "Ooh, let's go and have a ball with Henry the Eighth! You should go and change", he added, nodding to Rose. She jumped down from the chair.

"Come on, Donna, let's go and put on a period dresses."

#####

The TARDIS brought them a large selection of dresses to put on in 1500s England. They were all very heavy with lots of layers and lace, with long and very unpractical sleeves, high necks and the things Rose hated more than anything; corsets. She picked up a dark red dress with a white lace collar and sleeves that wided to the end. The dress was covered with white and black pearls which made it even heavier. There were also wigs and Rose and Donna tried them on, lauhging to each others, before putting them aside. Rose tied her hair up into a bun and put a small hat with a feather on the top of her head. She pulled her hems up so she was able to walk and headed out of the room, leaving Donna try on some shoes.

#####

Rose came to the console room and found the Doctor wearing his normal suit.

"You look wonderful", he said as Rose joined him. "Mind you, I should bring you to this era more often just to see you dressed up like this."

She grinned at him and he offered her his arm which she took greatfully. Walking in that dress made her breathless. No wonder women only sat and read in this thime period. They walked down the ramp and the Doctor opened the door. The cool night air was refreshing. Rose looked around her. They had parked on the yard and tens if not hundreds of people were walking cross the road towards the palacelike manor. All of them were dressed up, men and women, and Rose felt dizzy just thinking about all the yards of fabric it had taken to make all those dresses. She smiled at the Doctor.

"Wanna know a secret?" she asked silently, and he bent closer to hear her whisper. "I'm not wearing any corset."

He wabbled his eyebrows at her.

"Oh, dame Rose, you know just the way to turn me on."

She laughed.

"I hate this corset things", Donna announced while she joined them, wearing a green dress with black stripes, making Rose's laughter grow as the Doctor's start. "What?"

#####

The three of them joined to the crownd heading to the manor. In the door they were meant to inform their titels and names and the Doctor took out his pshycic paper, showing it to the man.

"Sir Doctor of the TARDIS, dame Rose of Powell estates and Miss Donna Noble", the Doctor said, gesturing to the women in question. The footman turned to the room.

"Sir Doctor, dame Rose and their escort, miss Noble!"

"Escort?" Donna huffed but before she was able to go on the Doctor pushed her on the back, making her step down the stairs. When they were halfway the stairs the footman announced next names. Donna looked over her shoulder to the Doctor and Rose.

"Why am I just miss?" she asked. "You were sir and dame, why didn't you give me a titel like that? I would make an amazing baroness."

"I bet you would", Rose said grinning.

"Have you been knighted?" the Doctor asked with great interest.

"Well, no. Duh."

"There you have then", he said and kept walking.

"What. You have?" she asked.

"Mm" Rose said. "By Queen Victoria."

"Altough, he did exhile us after that", the Doctor mused.

"That was your fault", Rose said.

"My fault? I wasn't the one who tried her best to make the queen say a certain sentence."

"That reminds me; you still own me ten quids."

Donna looked at the pair of them and shook her head slightly.

"Oh to be in love", she sighed. They found their way to the side of the ballroom and both Rose and Donna sat immidiately to the free seats.

"This dress weights more than I do", Rose said.

"That's not a miracle, you weight nothing", Donna said. "But this dress, it weights more than those guys in the Biggest Loser _before_ they come into the show!"

Rose heard the Doctor snort. Donna looked around herself.

"So, how does this thing work? Do I need to wait that someone askes me to dance or is there a lady's pick?"

The Doctor snorted again, this time it was more of a laughter.

"No, Donna. And no one can ask you to dance before you have been introduced. And to be introduced you need to find someone who knows both parties. And we know no one from here."

"What?" Donna snapped. "Does that mean that you took me to a ball where I can't dance?"

"You can dance with the Doctor", Rose suggested.

"Yeah, I think I can save you a dance", he nodded. "You do look lovely in green."

"Oh, shut up", Donna said, but she blushed lightly.

#####

The Doctor did some magic with his psychic paper and in less than an hour Donna had men in line to dance with her. Unfortunately, so did Rose. She could sense Doctor's thoughts even though she wasn't touching her when a tall, hundsome man came to her and bow. The outfit he was wearing was ridiculous, but all the men had pantyhoses and skirtlike shorts and Rose had to force herself not to laugh.

"Thank you", she said to the tall man. "I would be very happy to."

"You are the most beautiful lady in the room", the man said as he lead her to the dancefloor. "Even the king himself has noticed that."

"What, Henry the Eighth?" Rose said before she could hold her tounge.

"Why, yes, he is the king, is he not?"

Rose blushed and bit her tounge not to laugh when she looked back and saw Doctor's face.

"So, Dame Rose, what brings you here and why haven't I met you before?" the man asked.

"Um", Rose started. "I... I'm not from here. I'm from... um... Oxford."

She immidiately regretted saying Oxford because she knew nothing about Oxford, expect that there was the University of Oxford. She wished the man wouldn't ask her anything about Oxford.

"Indeed?" he only said. "And who is your... friend... if I may ask?"

"The Doctor?" Rose asked. "He's my... um... he's my fiancé", she said quickly. The man didn't look all that happy with her answer and she hoped the music would end and she would be able to go and sit down. She tried to get a glimbse of the Doctor but she didn't found him from the groud that was watching them to dance. She swung her head around, which made her a bit dizzy as there was so much swirling in the dance as well, but still coulnd't find the Doctor. Where was he? If he had found something interesting and gone to investigate it to himself...

"Madame?"

"Oh! Yeah. Sorry. We are here to meet his... assosiates", she said quickly. "They are working with... with..."

What did they invent in 1500s?

"Telescopes!"

They both jumped as the Doctor joined them on the dancefloor. He grinned widely, and in his arms was a short girl with darkbrown curls. "I'm working with telescopes. They invented telescopes in 1500s. And also spinningwheels but I thought that wouldn't be as cool as telescopes. Cool. Cooool. I'm not using that word, doesn't fit with the teeth. Anyway. I'm sorry, may I cut in? You can have my partner, miss Harrod. She's a fine dancer, she is."

Rose was afraid it was unbeliveble rude to do that to anyone in this timeperiod, or ever, but to her surprise he let go of her and stepped aside.

"Certainly", he said, bowed and left. The Doctor put his hand to her waist and smiled.

"You're welcome", he said. Rose laughed.

"You just couldn't let me have one dance with another man, could you?"

#####

"He", Rose said when she finally was back at her seat with the Doctor. "Was a horrible dancer. I can't even count the times he stepped on my toes! You'd think that if you're honorable enough to be invited to a royal ball someone would teach you how to dance, right? But nooo! And he didn't even say sorry!"

The Doctor chuckled and reached out his hand to wipe a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"Glad you didn't get a crush on him."

"He's wearing pantyhoes!" Rose said loadly, and as people nearby turned to look at her she lowered her voice. "I could never fall for a guy like that."

The Doctor looked smugly and she slapped his hand playfully. A footman approached them, looking nervous.

"Dame Rose" a footman said humbly and bowed. "His highness has asked you to join him for the dinner."

"Huh?" Rose asked bluntly. "Henry the Eight wants me to dine with him?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"But I'm... I'm... engaged" she glanced at the Doctor. He stared at her his eyes wide and she gave him a great smile, tounge poking out. He swallowed.

"Yes. She's engaged. She is, really, really engaged.", the Doctor said. "To me", he added, wrapping his arm around her the way it certainly was not proper in the era.

"He insists", the footman said. Rose hesitated and the Doctor no doubt felt it.

 _No, Rose, don't even think of it,_ his thought came clearly. _He's the killerking. If you end up hurting his sensitive feelings he might end up executeing you._

 _Don't you think I've already done the worst to hurt him?_

He didn't answer and Rose smiled to the footman.

"Tell his highness that I will join him if he so likes", she said warmly. The footman bowed and left.

"You're doing a mistake", the Doctor said.

"Come on, Doctor, it's just a dinner. I'm not going to marry him."

#####

The whispering was so load that it wasn't really whispering anymore. Rose could hear them perfectly. They were talking about her. Who was she, what had she done to impress the king so much, was she going to be wife number three? She shook her sleeves away and hoped they wouldn't sink into the soup. She kept looking at the Doctor, who was sitting way too far from her for her to hear him. He was sitting next to Donna, who had been happy the whole night, in the center of the attention of several men. And Rose was trapped with the king, who became the bolder the more he drank. Rose felt his hand to touch her tigh and, a bit horrified, slapped it away. That didn't help, as not much later, the hand was laid again to her tigh. She slapped it again. The third time it wasn't so substle anymore but the king really took a firm hold of her inner tigh. The memory of Huston's hand under her shirt was so vivid it swung her to her feet. She grabbed her drink and, without thinking, threw it on his face.

"Keep your dirty hands off me you slimey pervert!" she shouted. The whole table went silent and everyone turned to look at them. Rose felt suddenly a bit scared and, as she didn't know what else to do, she turned and left the room. She stopped in the drawingroom and took a couple deep breaths. She noticed that the ball and the exitement it brought had made her fogot her nightmare and all about the Master completely but now it all came crushing back and hurt even more than before. The door opened and the Doctor entered.

"Rose?"

She started to cry. He was there in a second and wrapped his arms around her. She hid her face to his shirt.

"Just... just take me away from here..."

#####

As they soon found out, leaving wasn't so easy. It turned out that Henry the Eight wasn't so happy that a certain dame Rose of Powell Estate had thrown her drink on his face during the dinner. It seemed that he was pretty angry because ten armed men were approaching them when they were walking down the stairs.

"Um, Doctor", Rose said silently.

"Can you run in that dress?" he asked like he was saying something like 'isn't it a lovely day today'.

"I think I don't have any options", Rose answered like she was saying something like 'it is indeed'. They grinned at each other, the Doctor grapped her hand and they ran. Rose collected her hems with her free hand so she wouldn't collapse into them.

"In the name of the king, I order you to stop!" a shout came behind them. Rose stumbled and almost fell on the hem of the skirt. She stopped, searched for her sonic pen from the pocket and, taking the right setting, soniced her waist.

"What are you doing?" the Doctor asked as he hopped in his spot, ready to run again, as Rose started to rip the skirt off.

"I can't run in this dress fast enough!" she said, kicked away the heavy skirt and sighed. "That's better", she said, now wearing just her petticoat and the top of the dress. "Come on!"

They ran again towards the TARDIS. Suddenly the Doctor started to laugh.

"I can't understand that you're running in your petticoat in the yard of Windsor Castle!"

"Me neither!"

"Stop!" a guard shouted. They reached the TARDIS, the Doctor opened the door, let Rose in and followed her, slamming the door closed in the face of the guard. They collapsed on the floor, laughing.

"So there's another royalty that we can't meet ever again", the Doctor said. "Queen Victoria, Elizabeth the First, and now Henry the Eight."

"What happened with Elizabeth the First?" Rose asked.

"I don't know yet. But we are going to meet her and she doesn't like what ever is to happen with us."

"Wait, isn't Elizabeth the First Henry the Eight's daughter?" Rose asked, smiling. "Which means that she might have just heard about this..."

He jumped up, pulling her with him and ran to the console.

"Anyway, off we go!" he said, the TARDIS shuttered and they statred to dematerialize. "I have plans I thought we should do the moment you stepped out wearing that dress. And now that there's only half of it left..."

Rose giggled and put her hands to his neck.

"I would've loved to see you in the pantihoes", she said. "I bet you'd make women faint just by wearing them."

"If that's a try to make me put them on you failed."

"Aww."

#####

They laid on the bed, Rose drawing circles on his bare, slighlty hairy chest, him playing with her hair. It was a lovely, peaceful, silent moment. And something in it felt off. Rose rised her head.

"Umm... Doctor?" she said. "I think we forgot something."

"What?" he asked.

"Donna."


	8. When Things Started to Go Wrong

**A/N:** Hello readers and thank you for comments and favorites! I am so SO sorry that this has taken this long but it is not completely my fault. I did found a beta but it came up that she was actually too busy to help me so we let each other go. So no, this chapter has not been corrected and I am very sorry about that too. I'll continue with mu search, I promise!

Anyhow, this is the end of the fluff, sorry. But it's the Doctor and Rose and when has it ever been easy with them? I hope you like it! It also has the fisrt small peek into the Doctor's mind. I kind of like the way I've written him and there's gonna be more of that later, even better if I may say so ;)

 **Disclaimer:** Not mine!

 **When Things Started to Go Wrong**

If she had to pinpoint the moment it all started to go wrong it would've been that day on Earth in 4072. It had been nothing, really, absolutely nothing, but Rose still felt a bit hurt. There had been a celebration of the birth of new british royal and they had queued for small eternity to get to see him, just because Donna wanted. And it would have all been just fine if the Doctor hadn't said that one small thing.

"This is Donna, she's my companion", the Doctor had introduced her. "And this is Rose, she's my..." he had frowned slighlty and Rose had crossed her arms, rising an eyebrow. "She's my Rose", he ended.

'My Rose'. Not 'my girlfriend' or 'my spouse' or even some stupid 'my partner'. 'My Rose'. She felt a bit stupid of being hurt because of that but somehow she had waited him to have a word to what they were. She had tought that they were a couple but now she couldn't tell if they were. And the worst part wasn't the choise of the word he used but the pause before it, like he would've tried to think what they were but still didn't know.

"...and that's when I played the piano for the first time in ages", he said and Rose realized that he had been talking for a while now. She put down the hairbrush that she had been keeping in her hand after brushing her hair. The Doctor laid on her back on the bed and his hands were playing airpiano.

"I had to sonic the sound really load so it worked..."

"Doctor?"

"Don't worry, I didn't break it."

"No, just... can I ask you something?"

The Doctor turned to look at her and the light in his eyes died and he sat up.

"What is it?" he asked. "Is it something that I said?"

"Well... kind of yeah", Rose said, not really knowing where to look. She felt a bit ashamed of herself. What was she complaining about? She was being childish.

"What?" the Doctor asked, standing up and coming to her.

"Why did you call me your Rose?" she asked quickly, like saying the words fast would somehow make them sound more understandable. The Doctor frowned, he obiously had no idea what she meant.

"Huh?"

"I mean... how do you define our relationship?"

He was silent for a long while and the expression on his face changed from worried into something that Rose couldn't really name. There was hints of panic and fear and sadness and furstration but also something dreamy and happy and it was really strange to see so many emotions in his face at the same time.

"I don't want to use the word 'relationship'", the Doctor finally said. "It defines everything."

What did he just say? She was too shocked to answer at the beginning.

"Everything?" Rose said then. "Like what, for example? That we are... I don't know... together?"

"Yeah, see, that's the thing. I don't want to be called your _boyfriend_ or call you my _girlfriend_ , that's just strange. I don't want this to be strange. I want this to be good."

"How does a word 'relationship' make it not good?"

"I don't know, it makes it so... so human!" the Doctor said, fustrated.

"Don't time lords have relationships?"

"That's different."

"How? How is that different?" Rose argued. "It's just a word, Doctor, it doesn't make us anything we're not, or take anything away of what we are!"

"If it's just a word then why is it so important to you?"

They stared at each other for a while. Rose swallowed and turned her head away.

"It's just... I thought that..." she couldn't finish as she didn't know what she was saying. Maybe she had assumed too much again. She had done that mistake before. Maybe... maybe they weren't anything like that to him. The Doctor stayed silent. Rose took a deep breath.

"What are we to you, then?" she asked. The Doctor looked at her, surprised. "You say that we aren't in a relationship. What is this then? Friends with benefits?"

"No!" the Doctor snapped. "How can you even think that?"

"Because it seems like that as you can't even say what we are!"

"I don't know what we are!" he shouted and Rose took a step back, not because she was scared, just because she didn't know how to handle the situation. She had never seen the Doctor like this. He ran his hands through his hair. When he spoke again his voice was it's normal level but far from calm.

"Rose, you got to understand", he pealed. "This is new to me. I've never been... There has never been something like this in my life. Back in Gallifrey, my marriages, it was different. It's not like... I don't know. It scares me, Rose. This. This scares me."

She blinked tears from her eyes and turned her head away, again.

"You're scared to be with me?" she whispered. He stiffened.

"That's not what I said."

"Yeah, it is. That's exactly what you said", she answered. "You know what? Never mind."

And she turned her back at him and left the room. The moment the door was closed behind her she brust into tears and she almost ran away.

#####

"Rose? Is everything alright?"

Donna sat next to her on the couch. Rose wiped tears from her cheeks.

"Yeah", she said with a small voice. "We had an argument", she added.

"Sorry", Donna said silently. They sat quiet for a moment.

"It's just", Rose began. "I don't know. Hard. He's an alien. Sometimes I forget that."

"I don't understand how you can forget something like that", Donna said, a smile pulling on her lips. Rose made a soft, sad laugh.

"Yeah."

"What alien did he do this time?" Donna asked. Rose shrugged.

"I don't know... maybe it's just me. But you know when you love someone you hope that you can be something more than just..." she fell silent and shrugged again. "He said he's scared of this what we have."

Tears started to ran down her cheeks again and she wiped them away, angrily. She felt that the Doctor had made her cry more often than he had made her laugh, even though she knew it wasn't true.

"Well, maybe", Donna said and hesitated. "Maybe he is scared?" she suggested. "I mean, he's, what, ninehundred years old and you're the first one he has ever loved? Don't you think that's pretty scary?" she smiled and took Rose's hand and squeezed it. "Maybe what he meant was that he's scared of how strongly he feels. Aren't you ever scared of your own feelings? How much you love the Doctor?"

"I'm scared that he'll never be able to define our relationship", Rose said. "That I'll always be something he doesn't know the name of."

"I think that 'my Rose' was kind of sweet", Donna said. "I wish someone would call me 'my Donna'."

"Yeah, but that's not the point."

"I know", Donna said quickly. "But you two... you're new. Give him time. He might need it a bit more than humans do. He'll get used to the idea of him belonging somewhere."

Rose looked at Donna and she seemed like she knew what she was talking about. And maybe she did. Oh, didn't she just love Donna, wasn't she the best? She smiled and hugged her.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it", she answered. "Now, let's go and make some tea, yeah? I'm sure I saw a few cupcakes in the kitchen this morning. And don't say there's no mornings in the TARDIS!"

#####

"Come on", the Doctor muttered, stroking the wall. "Please let me out?"

After he had had an argument of some short with Rose and she had left the room the TARDIS had vanquished the door. He had been pleading and flattering and accusing and shouting at the sealing but the door didn't come back. He didn't know what it was he had done wrong. Or he did but he didn't quite understand it. There was no word to define them, he didn't know how to define them because all they were was too much to put into one word. There was no word for them and that was a lot to say because he always found the word to everything, even things that didn't have names, or proper names at the very least. He had said her to be his and that was true, although Rose might disagree, and Donna definitely would, because Rose didn't belong to him and she still did and he was not going to give her to anyone else ever.

"I'm sorry, okay?" he said. "I was stupid. If she asked you to do this then let me out so I can go and tell her I'm sorry."

The lights flickered and the TARDIS hummed. Then, slowly, the door appeared. The Doctor immidiately swung it open and rushed out.

"Thank you!"

#####

When the Doctor entered their toom Rose was already in bed, reading a magazine.

"Hey", he said unsurely. She didn't even look up from the magazine. He had really ruined things, hadn't he? He hadn't had no idea that she thought the way she did. That the word to define them was so important to her when he didn't care about that as long as they had each other.

"So", he began, closing the door. "The TARDIS finally let me out from the room you left me."

"What?" Rose said, looking at him over her magazine. "You were locked into that room for five hours?"

"And twelve minutes and thirteen seconds", the Doctor nodded. "The TARDIS seems to be pretty pissed with me."

He tried to smile. Rose turned her eyes back to the magazine.

"That makes two of us", she said coldly.

"I'm sorry", the Doctor said. Rose sighed.

"Yeah."

"No, I really am", he said, and crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed. He took her hand and she let him, but he could feel that she didn't let him feel everything but her shields were up and doors closed. He tried to ignore that. She had the right to do so, she had the right to be angry when he did something stupid, she did. And he was stupid and was acting stupid and why oh why was this so difficult all of a sudden?

"I can call you my girlfriend if that means so much to you", he said, smiling a bit. She sighed again and shook her head.

"That's not what I meant. I just wanted this to be something to you, something with more meaning than just some fling."

"This has meaning, Rose!" he said loadly. He had no idea that this was what she thought. Did she thought they were a fling? Did she want them to be a fling? Did she want him to think they were a fling? "This means so much to me. Nothing means more", he said so that Rose would know that at least he didn't mean it to be a fling. There were tears in her eyes and he couldn't tell if they were about sadness or something else. He hated it when she locked her from him.

"But you won't call this even a relationship", she whispered. The Doctor started to feel fustrated of how this conversation was going. He didn't like arguing. He didn't like this to go like this. He wasn't good at things like this, he wanted it to be simple and good and not like everything else in his life. So he said the first thing that came into his mind.

"Well, into a relationship belongs shareing things."

He wasn't thinking of the things he kept to himself, things that would break her heart, things he still suffered of. He was thinking of those things she kept from him. The times he couldn't find her anywhere and when she finally came out from her hidingspot he could see she had been crying but she never told him why. Those times he saw her playing with the ring she hide in her drawer. Those times when she used awful lot of time in the shower and he couls hear her sobs but she declined crying. Those times she just stopped smiling or laughing suddenly and without a visible reason and waved it off like it hadn't happened. Something was going on and he coulnd't tell what, or he could but couldn't be sure, didn't want to be sure, and that's why he was so scared to demand an answer. But it didn't mean he didn't want her to tell him herself. She swallowed and blinked.

"I tell you everything", she answered, and it was a lie and it felt wrong and bad and painful. "You're the one who keeps secrets."

And there it was again, the wall. Maybe it hadn't left at all but now it felt even taller and thicker and he felt powerless against it. What was going on what was happening why did it happen had he done something wrong?

"I'm sorry", he said again as he didn't know what else to say.

"Yeah, I know."

She turned her eyes back to the magazine and the Doctor knew the conversation was over. He was scared that it wasn't the only thing that was over. He swallowed.

"Rose..."

"Good night", she answered. He nodded and stood. It was over it was all over what was he meant to do now that it was over?

"Good night", he answered and left the room.

#####

After two hours of rolling in the sweaty, hot sheets Rose gave up and left the bed. She pulled on the blue dressinggown that the Doctor had never returned to Howard and left the room to make herself some tea. She was surprised to find the Doctor from the kitchen because he normally didn't use the kitchen at all.

"Hey", she said and he looked up. He looked tired and stressed.

"Hello", he answered. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Don't know", she answered at sat on the other side of the small table. Then she thought she might as well tell the truth. "I was thinking about what happened earlier."

"Oh. Right."

'Oh right' wasn't exactly what she had hoped for but never mind.

"I'm sorry", she said. "I overreacted. Guess I'm just scared."

"Yeah. I know the feeling", the Doctor said, smiling a bit.

"You don't have to define us", she said slowly. "Six weeks isn't that much in the end. I've been rushing things because I keep forgetting that I now have a longer lifespan. There's plenty of time for us. I mean, if you want any 'us'..."

He reached over the table to take her hand. He didn't give his answer with words but with a feeling. A smile spread into her face.

"Yeah?"

"Definitely", he answered. "And that is the most certain word I have used in years."

#####

It had been their first fight and she was happy that it was over. She had had fierce fights with Jimmy Stone, one reason why it had lasted so long and ended when it did. It was funny, she thought as she looked at the Doctor, sleeping next to her, how arguments made relationships stronger. Ofcourse she couldn't tell if the Doctor felt the relationship to be stronger. Rose smiled and closed her eyes. She knew that this wasn't the only argument they'd have and not even the worst. But she also knew that as long as they would love each other it wouldn't end because of the arguments.

#####

Donna waked them up by knocking the door. The Doctor, who had slept the whole night for a miraculous reason called Rose, rubbed his eyes as Rose groaned and curled into a thight wonderful ball.

"What are you two doing there that takes so long?" Donna's voice carried through the door. "Never mind, don't tell me!"

"We'll be right there!" the Doctor called back and turned to Rose. "Hey sleepyhead", he said and paused. "I'll never use that word again", he said and Rose, who kept her eyes stubbornly shut, giggled. He kissed her shoulder before jumping of of the bed and pulling his trousers on.

"You should go with Donna", Rose muttered and pulled the sheets on, rolling to her other side. "I want to sleep."

"Oh, come on!" the Doctor said, jumping on one leg as he pulled sock to his feet. "I thought to go random. I love random! And so do you, if I remember it correctly."

Rose peaked at him with one eye as he tried to pull his sneaker on while standing on one leg. She looked so fresh and beautiful with her messy hair and sleepy eyes and sheets tangled around her slim figure that it took him a lot to consentrate to the shoe.

"Tell you what", Rose said. "You take random and peak out and if it's sunny and warm and doesn't look like I need to run I'll join you. But if it's dark or cold and there's wild beast chasing people then I'll stay here in this warm, comfy bed and you two go and take care of that beast. In both cases you can go and run and have your fun."

"It's not gonna be any fun if you're not coming", the Doctor complained. He snuggled into the bed. "If you're not coming voluntarily I have to force you."

"And how exactly are you going to do that?" she asked. He gave her a marvellous grin and started to tickle her. Her laughter alone was worth the kick she gave him. He fell down the bed and Rose laughed loadly and brightly and it felt like the whole thing last night hadn't happened. He felt happy that she was happy and he laughed as well.

"Please come?" he said, very aware that he sounded like a child but not careing because getting Rose to come was the most important task right now. "Pretty please with chocolate icing and those weird blue cherrythings from Kaälos you like so much?"

Rose laughed again and the Doctor thought that he could easily live with just that sound.

"Fine! I'll come."

#####

It ended up to be cold. Rose should've known that they'd end up somewhere cold. And somewhere where they needed to run. Even though there wasn't a wild beast chasing anyone, just humans at their worst. It hadn't taken long for Rose to understand that humans indeed were one of the worst monsters in the universe. But one thing she had learnt in this journey was that she was able to have a telepathical link with other sentient beings among time lords. Ood. It was strange, especially because she didn't need to touch those creatures to hear them. Their singing had been the most beautiful and sad thing she had ever heard, and she was happy that they had been able to free them from slavery and they were now free to sing. They were standing next to the TARDIS and a few ood, Ood Sigma among them, were saying goodbye to them.

"The message has gone out", the Doctor told them. "That song resonated across the galaxies, everyone heard it. Everyone knows. The rockets are bringing them back. The ood are coming home."

"We thank you, Doctor Donna Rose", Ood Sigma said. "Friends of Oodkind. And what of you now, will you stay? There is room in the song for you all."

"Oh, We've... We've sort of got a song of my own, thanks", the Doctor stuttered.

"There are things that should not be done", Ood Sigma said. "Things that might end a song."

"Meaning?" the Doctor said, surprisingly coldly, a dark look in his eyes. Rose felt shivers run up her spine.

"Some things are meant to happen, some are not", Sigma answered. The Doctor nodded, obiously unsettled of his words. Rose, however, smiled at him.

"Fixed and flux, yeah?" she asked. Sigma looked at her.

"There is a lot of power in your hands, wolf", he said. A smile on Rose's face died.

"What?"

But Sigma didn't answer. The Doctor, still looking a bit nervous, turned to Donna.

"What about you?" he asked. "You still want to go home?"

"No", Donna said, breaking a smile. "Definitely not."

"Then we'll be off."

"Take this song with you", Sigma said. He and his fellow ood lifted their hands, palms up, and started singing. It was beautiful and lightened Rose's heart. She smiled.

"We will", Donna said, happily.

"Always", the Doctor added.

"We will keep it here", Rose said, placeing her hand on her chest, aboce her heart. "Thank you."

"And know this", Sigma said before they stepped into the TARDIS. "You will never be forgotten. Our children will sing of you, and our children's children. And the wind and the ice and the snow will carry your name forever."

Rose notised that Sigma spoke like he was speaking about just one person _._ _She frowned and was just about to ask when the Doctor touched lightly her hand and she knew he had noticed it as well but either didn't want to know or didn't think it was important. They stepped into the TARDIS and the Doctor sent them into the vortex._

 _"_ _That was wonderful", Donna said. "I want more things like that. Less like blowing up mountains and more like saving ood from slavery. Yeah?"_

 _"_ _Yeah", the Doctor said. He looked at Rose who smiled._

 _"_ _Yeah", she said to say something. However, she was thinking of something Ood Sigma had said. That there was a lot of power in her hands. And that there was things that shouldn't be done. What had he meant? Was there something she was about to do or could do that was wrong or something that she shouldn't do? Why was everything suddenly so hard?_

 _"_ _I don't know about you two but I'm freezing", Donna said. "I'll go and take a long, hot bath and make some tea", she added while walking to the corridors. "See you later."_

 _As they couldn't hear her footsteps anymore the Doctor turned to Rose. He looked serious._

 _"_ _Why was he speaking about just one person?" Rose asked. "Who did he mean?"_

 _"_ _I don't know", the Doctor said nervously._

 _"_ _He said that they would sing songs of that person", Rose tried to comfort him. "So I don't think it'll be anything bad that's gonna happen, yeah?"_

 _He didn't answer and Rose focused on keeping a smile on her face. Suddenly he shook himself like he had had a cold, dark memory and he wanted to get rid of it._

 _"_ _Anyway!" he said brisky and Rose knew that something was off and he didn't want to talk about it. "Tea sounds lovely. You want some?"_

 _"_ _Sure", she said, knowing that she couldn't make it out of him if he didn't want to talk about it, what ever it was. As he jumped to the kitchen she headed to her room to change to something less wintery._

 _#####_

Rose picked up a her most used sweatpants and a blue shirt made of really soft wool of some aliensheep. She liked how it was so light and so warm and that it kept water very well, even though an aliensheepwoolshirt was kind of a strange thing. She put her hair up and opened the drawer to find some pins to keep her hair away from her face when her eyes met the ring. She put it always away and she always found it again, no matter how well she covered it with her makeup and tissues. The strangling feeling started to grow. Rose took the ring and rised it into her eye level. What did the gallifreyan on in meant? She had never asked him, not even seen it really before she took it off his finger. Was it something important? A message? Maybe not. It had propably been there since he got it from Gallifrey, decaces before they even met. It could be just some sort gallifreyan brand. She sighed and was just about to put it back down when it happened. It wasn't like those images she had seen or the sounds she had heard. It was like when she knew what the Doctor was thinking.

 _Rose, I know what you're thinking. Don't._

She gasped and the ring dropped to the table, rolling to the edge and falling to the floor. It had been the Master, she was sure of it. She had felt his thoughts the same way she felt Doctor's when they touched. Was there that much of Master's DNA on the ring that she could feel his thoughts? Or was it just her imagination? Had it really happened? She bend to pick up to ring again, trying to consentrate the feeling.

 _Master?_ she tried. _Are you there? Can you hear me?_

Nothing. Silence wrapped around her. She felt the tears of dissapointment and fustration burn in the corner of her eyes.

"The tea's ready", the Doctor announced from the door. She startled and squeezed the ring into her fist.

"Yeah, okay", she said. It was better if she wouldn't tell the Doctor about this. He didn't need to worry about that. There were much worse things they were dealing with. She glanced at him as he didn't move.

"What?" she asked, thinking if he saw how upset she was.

"Nothing", he said, took a sharp breath and smiled. "I found some chocolatechipcoockies! Your favorite! Although I would've preferred bananaones but well, you can't have everything."

"Great!"

Even she heard the fake in her voice.

"Is everything okay?" the Doctor asked, stepping closer. Rose blinked hard not to cry. She tried really much not to say it but the words just dropped from her mouth, like they had a life of their own.

"Why don't you ever talk about him? He was your friend, back in Gallifrey, he was the only other time lord left in existence, the only one who could really understand you, the only one to fill the emptiness in your head, and you never even mention him."

There was more dissapointement in her voice than anything else, and it mixed with blame and sadness and she closed her mouth before she would say anything else she'd regret.

"It's not that easy", the Doctor said.

"Yeah, it is!" she said, surprisingly load. "It doesn't have to be a long conversation but you can say his name!"

"What would it help, huh? It would only make us stay in the past!"

It was already running out of hands and she had just enough time to wonder if this was what it was going to be. They had just made up their last argument and a new one was already forming. But she wasn't going to back off, not now when they were talking about the Master.

"You are wrong!" she shouted. "Talking would make us move forward!"

"But it won't bring him back, Rose! He's still dead, no matter how much we talk about him he will stay dead!" his voice started to crack and he fell silent before it broke completely. She felt sorry for him. She shouldn't have thought he didn't feel the sadness and the sorrow and that he didn't miss him being alive.

"We could bring him back, I've seen it", Rose said softly. And with a quicky movement she grabbed Doctor's hand and let him see it all. His eyes widened and lips parted. He looked at Rose.

"That's why you took the ring off, so that you could bring him back", he said. Rose shook her head.

"No, I took the ring off so that you wouldn't die."

His smile was weak and didn't reach his eyes. He reached his hand to take the ring from Rose's fist and looked at it carefully. He soniced it and frowned slighlty.

"Don't you dare to go licking it", Rose warned. His frown deepened as he looked at her.

"Why on Earth would I lick it?"

"Well, you do lick a lot of things in a name of... sorry, why exactly do you lick things?"

"Taste", the Doctor said. "Is a very important sense, Rose Tyler. You can deduct a lot of stuff by taste. If I licked you I could tell what you've eaten today, what shampoo you use, have you done anything to sweat after your last shower, have you taken any medication, when you last had your period and if you are..."

He quickly turned his eyes back to the ring and Rose saw his cheeks heaten up. She rised her eyebrows.

"You just know your way around women, don't you", she said.

"Actually..." he started, putting the hand holding the ring down and faceing her with a squircky little smile pulling on his face.

"I thought we were talking about the remains of DNA in the Master's ring", Rose said. Once again she spoke before she was able to stop herself. She immidiately knew how the Doctor took them and regretted. "I didn't mean -", she started.

"Yeah, you did", the Doctor said and stood up. "Anyway. There are remains on the ring. I can't really tell how much or if it would change anything. I should do more tests. Even then it might not work. The DNA might be too damaged."

"Doctor", Rose began but he didn't even look at her.

"And even then it might not work. People aren't meant to be brought back from the death. Expect _Turritopsis nutriculas._ They do it automatically. Strange creatures. They just stop being adults and start being babies again. Well, actually they can still die die. Like if something eats them. But if they won't end up being eaten they can life forever."

"Doctor", Rose said again, patiently.

"But I can try. I can't promise he won't end up being like he was in the flashes you had. Although, I do have an access to much more developed -."

Rose laid her hand on his waveing arm and sent a bluck to his mind. He fell silent and looked at her.

"Your bluck is leaking", he said.

"But it does stop something, yeah?"

He nodded slighlty and sighed.

"Sorry", he said. Rose shook her head, still holding the blugh in its place, even though she was pretty sure the Doctor could remove it easily.

"Stop thinking all that could go wrong", she said.

"You want him back", he said bitterly. Rose didn't answer right away. She thought for a while, poundered her answer, because she new how easily the Doctor would misunderstand it.

"I want to give him a change to be a better man."

"And in your vision... was he a better man?"

Rose tried to think but all she remembered was the Master, his skull flashing through his skin.

"I don't know. I want to trust he would be."


	9. Dungeon And Dragon

**A/N:** Hello lovely readers and followers! I'm back and now I have a Beta! So a big Hurrah to anna1991, she's the best!

Anyway, here's the next chapter, again my own original. Please leave me a note to tell what you think! I'd love to read your comments!

 **Disclaimer:** Doctor who is not mine but some of the characters in this chapter are, I gues...

 **Dungeon And Dragon**

Rose had hoped that speaking about the Master would somehow make the pain go away. Or that speaking about him with the Doctor would somehow correct what was broken. But it didn't. The next day they had come to a wordless agreement not to mention anything they had spoken about last night. She wasn't sure what exactly it was that had caused this or whether is had just been the overall idea of the Master that kept the Doctor on his toes. He didn't act any differently but Rose could sense that he was more distant and cold towards her than normal. And he kept acting like that for days. There wasn't exactly anything she could complain about. The Doctor was his usual, overactive self: he spoke to her like he always did, but there was still something lacking. It took suprisingly long for her to figure out what it was: she couldn't feel his love anymore. It wasn't like he didn't touch her, because he did, just as much as ever. But somehow it was different, and the lack of that overwhelming, warming, crushing feeling made his touch feel that much emptier. She first noticed it in Pavola, where they went to a wedding. It was a great celebration of love, and while she leaned her back against the Doctor's chest, his arms wrapped around her waist as they looked at the fireworks, she noticed that his presence in her mind was somehow different. After that it became more obvious as he didn't touch her as often anymore. He didn't hold her hand while they were running. He didn't lean against her shoulder, or touch her arm, or put his hand on her waist, or wipe her hair away from her face, or kiss her anymore. The biggest thing, even though it was kind of obvious after all the other things he didn't do anymore, was that he didn't come to her bedroom anymore to lay down with her until she fell asleep. It started with him saying that he had something important to do, like checking the readings of the missing planets and couple of stars that had disappeared. But then it just became a habit. It was like they had never been that close to begin with. She felt a bit hurt by that, so she let him be. She was so glad that Donna was with them and that she was a perfect distraction from her worries about the Doctor.

"What's going on between you and the Doctor?" Donna asked her one day in the marketplace of a very popular planet.

"Nothing", Rose said, picked up two purple orange-like pieces of fruit, paid for them and gave one of them to Donna. She started to peal her fruit and exposed the white flesh inside it. Donna looked at it with great suspicion.

"Do you mean nothing literally or I-don't-want-to-talk-about-it nothing?"

"These things are so tasty at this time of the year."

Donna sighed. Rose couldn't really blame her. Every since she and the Doctor had started to act like they were only aquintances, Donna had acted like a buffer between them. She was the one who woke up Rose, and she was also the one who told the Doctor that the dinner was ready, and that part didn't really suit her.

"I just wish you could talk about it", she said after she had skinned her fruit. She took a bit and spat it out, horrified. "This thing is disgusting!"

#####

And the nightmares never ended. She was playing with the ring when she went to bed and, she didn't know if it was because of that or not, had the most vivid dream she had ever had.

"Rose", the Master said. His voice was so gentle, much more gentle than it had ever been before because it lacked all the desperation and fear. Maybe it was because he wasn't real. "You have to let me go."

Rose shook her head rapidly.

"No. I don't want you to die."

"I'm already dead", he said firmly, without hesitation.

"Then I don't want you to be dead!"

He smiled sadly and he looked so human and so different that she felt she didn't really know this man.

"It's not meant to be like that. The dead should stay dead."

"Don't you want to be alive again?" she asked.

"No."

Tears started to run down her cheeks and she shook her head again.

"I can't..." she started but didn't know how to continue. "Why are you doing this to me?" she asked angrily. "Why didn't you regenerate?"

"You have the Doctor now", he answered.

"No, I don't! He doesn't want me, not anymore. He just feels responsible because I'm no longer human, because I have no one to go to. But he doesn't want me, not the way he used to."

"But you love him all the same", the Master said without any bitterness and she hated how right he was. She started to cry because it was all so true and unfair. The Master laid his hand on her shoulder and the gesture was so wrong coming from him that she shook it away.

"It's not really you, is it?" she asked, her voice breaking. He didn't answer. She woke up before she could ask again and put the ring aside, scared that it might bring her more of those dreams.

#####

Rose and Donna were chatting and drinking tea in the kitchen. She was telling Donna about Jack and how they had had champagne on an invisible spaceship infront of Big Ben during the London Blitz. Donna was laughing so hard she almost fell off the chair. That was when a weird, highpitched noice filled the room. Rose looked around.

"What's that?" Donna asked.

"It's a distress call. When someone is in trouble, they might send a distress call. The TARDIS picks it up easily. Followed a lot of those."

She jumped down from the chair while talking.

"We better go", she said, and Donna followed her.

"Where's it from?" Rose asked as they stepped into the console room. The Doctor pulled down a lever and glanced at them.

"From Tar'ah", he said. "That's strange."

"Why?" Donna asked.

"Because the creatures there don't usually get into trouble", the Doctor said as the TARDIS landed with a thud. "So no wandering off!"

Rose grinned at Donna as the all three of them stepped out of the TARDIS. The heat hit them immediately. The air felt heavy and moist. They were in the middle of a jungle. Rose smiled.

"You could've landed somewhere with a little bit more space", Donna muttered. Something wet and thick hit her in the face and she yelped. "Some place where there isn't any alien goo falling from the trees."

The Doctor chuckled and looked around.

"Yeah, well. Best to hide the TARDIS just in case. And what's a better place than this?"

He started to head off and the women followed him. Donna tripped behind them and started yapping about alien jungles. The Doctor stopped to help her up and Rose kept going. She had the weird sensation that someone was looking at her but when she turned around she could only see leaves and bushes. She pushed away some lightblue leaves and found that the jungle got sparser. She looked around, her eyes met something that didn't fit in with the surroundings and her heart skipped. The TARDIS.

"Rose?"

The northern accent made chills run up her spine and she turned around with a huge grin on her face. The Doctor, her first Doctor, was standing there, completely astonished.

"What are you doing here?"

She just stared. She had thought she'd never see this him again. But there he was. And that was wonderful.

"I could ask you the same question", she said. "Where have you left me?"

"I asked first."

Rose laughed a little.

"Fine. We got a distress signal."

"'We'?"

"You, me and Donna."

"Right", he said and paused. A glimpse of joy shone in his blue eyes. "So you're with me after..."

"Yeah."

He nodded and smiled. Oh, how much she had missed that smile! How much she had missed him!

"So, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Probably the same as you. I got a distress call."

Rose opened her mouth to ask again where her younger self was, remembering what had happened the last time she had met herself, when a voice interrupted her.

"Rose? Who are you talking to? That sounds exactly like... oh."

The Doctor, the one whom she was with now, had finally found his way through the jungle and to see who she was talking to. They stared at each other. The younger Doctor crossed his arms. Donna stumbled out of the jungle, cursing the lianas, and turned to the younger Doctor.

"Is that him? Did he call for help?" she asked.

"No", Rose and both of the Doctors said at the same time. They grinned, and Rose shared her amusement with the younger version.

"Okay. Who is he then?" Donna asked, sensing that there was something everyone else but her knew.

"I'm the Doctor", the Doctor said, nodding to Donna.

"You too, huh?" Donna said. She turned to look at the older Doctor and grinned. "So you're not the one and only 'Doctor'. Is that why you glare at each other like that? Because you aren't so unique in the universe anymore?"

"Well, yes and no", the older Doctor said, not taking his eyes off his other self. Suddenly Rose found the situation extremely funny and burst out laughing. Donna seemed to confused and both of the Doctor's looked a bit hurt, but she didn't mind. She hadn't thought something like this could even be possible. And this was completely brilliant. In the end she got a hold of herself, wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes and cleared her throat.

"Sorry", she said with a giggle. "Just seeing both of you..." she smiled at the older one and then at the younger one. "It's just... fantastic."

"What are you doing here anyway?" the older Doctor interrupted.

"Got a distress signal."

"Well, we're on it. So you can go back to your TARDIS and pop off."

"No, I don't think I will", said the one in leather. "Besides, Tar'ah is a big planet. I think we are much faster if we go in pairs."

He winked at Rose, who grinned back. The older Doctor immediately stepped closer to Rose and wrapped his arm around her waist in a possesively. Rose managed to catch a hint of jealousy from him before he shielded his mind again. She looked up at him and frowned. He hadn't touched her in days, and now suddenly... that was ridiculous.

"Okay, I'll go with Rose", he said, cutting Rose's thought short. "You can take Donna..."

"That's fine with me", Donna said, giving the younger Doctor a smile that made Rose want to laugh again. Especially when she saw both of the Doctor's reactions.

"Donna, there's one thing you should know", Rose said, shaking Doctor's hand from her hip and going to her. "He's the Doctor", she said, pointing at the man in the pinstriped suit. "And he's also the Doctor", she continued, pointing at the other man. "They are both the Doctor. One man. It's a Time Lord thing", she said quickly as Donna opened her mouth bewildered. "He changes his body if he's dying."

"What?" Donna said.

"He can explain it", the younger man said. "You go with Donna. There's no point for me to take her, I don't know her. I want Rose."

"But..."

"I'll go with him", Rose said, nodding at the leatherjacket Doctor. The other one narrowed his eyes at her but she only smiled innocently. He was the one acting all coolly and distantly and now that there was another man, who wasn't really another man, he got all possessive? Not gonna happen.

"Fine", he said finally. "But just one more thing."

"What?"

He bent closer and kissed her rather passionately, leaving Rose a bit breathless as he pulled away. She sucked her lips in for a second and tried her best not to look at the younger Doctor. But she did. The astonished and shocked look on his face made her grin against her will.

"If anything happens to her", the Doctor growled at himself before giving Rose a peck on the forehead and turning to Donna.

"Come on, we're going this way", he said gloomily and stormed off. Donna followed him silently. Rose turned to look at the Doctor she was left with. She was feeling very confused and, to be honest, flattered, that the Doctor seemed to be jealous of himself. But now wasn't the time to think about that. She cleared her throat and hoped her face wasn't as red as it felt.

"This way, then?" she asked, pointing in one direction. The Doctor raised his eyebrows.

"So I'm not going to get any explanation?"

"For what?"

"For what? That bloody kiss he just gave you! Is that where this is going?"

Rose smiled a little and tiltled her head.

"Does it seem that bad?" she asked. The Doctor blushed and it gave Rose more satisfaction than she had expected. She laughed and let her hand slip into his. It happened almost automatically: she had forgotten that this Doctor could also sense her mind, and that he wasn't used to it. His whole body tensed and he turned to look at her so quickly that he felt dizzy and Rose felt it too. But that wasn't all she felt. There were so much feelings inside him, and, if she was honest, she wasn't ready to feel what he felt. The emotional storm inside his mind was powerful and almost violent. The self-hatred that in the older version of him was a constant but well-hidden ache was almost physically painful in this body. There were so many dark and negative emotions and thoughts, so much more blame and fear and loneliness. It was all so horrible and surprising that Rose's eyes filled with tears.

"I'm so sorry", she whispered, taking his hand into both of hers and raising it to her lips. He took a firm hold of her with both of his hands, as if touching more of her would also make him feel more of her. She closed her eyes and let him feel everything she could to comfort him and to ease his pain. She felt his confusion and growing fear inside his mind.

"How do you..."

She shook her head, eyes still shut. His mind was different, there were a lot more shadows and the shapes were dark and towered above her, but somehow it still wasn't threatening.

"Is this how you feel?" she whispered in a broken voice. His pain pulsed through her and she shivered. He tried to pull awaty, scared that she couldn't take it, but she didn't let go. He stilled, and as she looked up at him she saw that he had closed his eyes, breathing deeply in and out.

"All the time."

Rose squeezed his hand and then, suddenly, without any warning, he placed his hand on the back of her neck and kissed her. It took her completely by surprise. Not just the fact that he kissed her but also how differently this him kissed. While the older him was exploreing, passionate, curious and playful, this one was fierce, hard, desperate and almost rough. His other hand went up to her hair to keep her face near his as the other one ran down her side and around her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck, melting into the kiss, pressing herself against him. Because if there was anything she regretted not doing with this him it was this. She felt his thoughts racing and swirling so fast that it made her dizzy. There seemed to be quite a lot of 'I shouldn'ts' but he still didn't stop. She was more than happy about that.

 _I love you,_ she let herself think. And even though the Doctor didn't answer her, even though the affection he sent her wasn't exactly love, she knew that he was just about to get there. When he pulled away there was big smile on both of their faces.

"Happy you did that", Rose breathed. "One thing I always wanted to do."

"Me too", the Doctor said. "I'm just sorry I need to go back to the other you and forget this ever happened."

"You do?" Rose asked. They started to walk, and Rose took his hand, even though it wasn't so common for her and this version of the Doctor to walk hand in hand and she could feel his pleased surprise, and how desperately he took in every bit of her he could into his mind, and she could feel that he had lightened up a little. "Why?"

"Time Lord thing. We have to suppress our memories if we meet another version of ourselves. To avoid paradoxes."

"Okay."

They walked on.

"Is it because he's so pretty?" the Doctor asked suddenly.

"Is what because he's so pretty?" Rose asked. He smiled.

"Well you do have a thing for pretty boys", the Doctor said with a wink.

"I do not!"

"Oh excuse me, but Adam was nothing but pretty!"

"Yeah, Adam was a mistake", Rose mused. "Mickey's not exactly pretty."

"He kinda is", the Doctor said.

"Jack is definitely pretty", Rose continued without thinking. "But he's more than just a pretty face."

"Who's Jack?"

Oh, right, woops. The Doctor seemed to realise her slip and waved his hand.

"Never mind."

"But you've met Adam", Rose argued suddenly. "Jack didn't come so long after that. What time period are you from? I don't remember staying that long with Mum between Adam and Jack."

"You were just picking up clean laundry", the Doctor said. Rose lifted her eyebrows.

"And you couldn't wait that long?"

"I said I got a distress call! You don't sit around and wait for your companion to come when you get a distress call."

"No, ofcourse not", Rose said dryly. "Because you don't happen to own a time machine. Oh your older self is so gonna hear about this later! You'll be sorry not to be able to supress that lecture!"

"So you're giving me lectures now, are you?" he asked, sounding more amused than angry.

"Haven't I always?"

He shrugged.

"Someone needs to keep you the line. Not that Donna couldn't do that, she's brilliant at it."

"No one does it better than you, Rose."

She grinned and bumped him with her shoulder.

#####

They walked out of the forest and to the field that opened wide before them. The view was breathtakingly beautiful and Rose stopped for a moment just to look at it.

"Why haven't you ever brought me here?" she said, mostly to herself. The Doctor, however, shrugged.

"Lots of other places to see."

They walked down the hill.

"So..." the Doctor said, breaking the silence. "You look older."

Rose glanced at him.

"Thanks."

"No, I mean, you're nineteen. In my timeline, I mean. And you don't look nineteen now", he paused. "How old are you?"

That was a question she needed to think about for a while. At somepoint, during her captivity with the Master, the year that never was, and all those months in the TARDIS, she had lost her sense of time. Something that would probably never happen to the Doctor.

"Um... I guess I'm twenty-nine", she said after a small pause. He gaped at her.

"What? You've been with me that long? Ten years?"

"Well", Rose said, thinking of the time she had spent separate from the Doctor, the time the Doctor had spent separate from her and the time that the Earth had spent separate from both of them. "You can argue about that."

"You don't look that old", he said. Rose snorted.

"Yeah, because you look nine hundred. Like that's a young age."

"For a Time Lord it is."

"Ofcourse it is!"

They laughed and he pulled at her hand so she'd follow him.

#####

They were at the bottom of the valley when it happened. She hadn't ever felt anything like it. It was kind of like the telepathic link she had with others with the same ability, but this time it was so strong it worked without skin contact, and it was much clearer than it had been with the Ood. Because even though her hand was linked with the Doctor's, she knew this wasn't him. It was something much larger and in a lot of stress and pain. And this time it wasn't just a feeling, it was a real voice; a bit like the Ood singing, but this was a scream.

"Can you hear that?" she asked.

"Yeah."

The Doctor hesitated for a moment and then, taking a deep breath, let go of her hand. His absence was much clearer. Maybe it was because she had felt him so strongly for the past hour and a half. She followed him down to the valley. He took out his sonic, chose a setting and turned around in a circle, pointing in every direction. Meanwhile Rose closed her eyes and focused on the feelings in her mind. Where was the one in such pain? What had happened to them to cause so much suffering? Suddenly she caught a glimpse of a dim room, like a cellar, and heard a low growl.

"Underground", she said as she opened her eyes. "There's a trapdoor somewhere."

"How did you -."

"Never mind that now. We need to find it."

The Doctor pointed his sonic at the ground and, after a while, it seemed to find something.

"Over here."

She went to him, moving the blue grass away from the trapdoor, and the Doctor sonicked the lock and pulled the door open. They were hit by a horrible, hot, rotten smell.. The screaming in her head grew stronger and, without hesitation, she climbed down the ladder to the dungeon. The Doctor soon followed her, searching a torch from his pocket. Rose looked around. There was a dim light that came from a lamp at the ceiling. Dust was hanging in the air, the walls and the smell was so bad that she felt like throwing up. Then her eyes met something.

"Doctor", she said slowly and the Doctor turned to look at what she was pointing at. "Is that... is that a dragon?"

"Not exactly", the Doctor answered in a low voice. "He's a Targeshé. Dragons descented from them."

He was a huge, lizard-like creature, but his head was the size of a lion and he had three two-feet-long black horns. He had six legs that ended in long, black claws; his wings were pressed against his sides and were also equipped with long claws. But as Rose stepped closer she noticed something that brought tearsto her eyes. The Targeshé was tied down with chains. They were wrapped all around him; his legs were shackled to the floor, his wings to his sides and his crocodile-like jaw was tied together. He was scarred; some of the wounds were old and some so fresh that they were still bleeding deeply blue blood. The Doctor looked speechless and, after a split second, stepped closer and placed his hand on his head. The creature gave a low growl this time.

"Be careful", Rose said automatically. But then the Doctor started to speak, and Rose, for the first time while travelling in the TARDIS, was in a situation where she didn't understand a single word. The language the Doctor spoke was beautiful and songlike. The Targeshé opened his pale eye that had a sharp and thin pupil before closing it again. The scream in her head stopped.

"What did you say?" she asked as the Doctor stood. "Why didn't the TARDIS translate it?"

"Because it didn't need to", the Doctor answered simply. "It was the only language the TARDIS doesn't need to translate. I was speaking Gallifreyan."

He didn't look at her and she knew what he was thinking and feeling right then. She didn't need the link to know it, and felt she sorry for him.

"It was beautiful", she said. The Doctor glanced at her, and even though he didn't smile, there was a certain softness in his eyes.

"A Targeshé's skin is more than bulletproof", he said than in a dark voice. "We better help him out of these chains", he said and took out his sonic. Rose followed his example, taking her sonic pen and kneeling next to the jaws. She searchedfor the right setting and pointed it at the lock. The whirr it made caused the Doctor to turn to her.

"Where did you get that?" he asked.

"Long story", Rose answered and took a hold of the chains to pull them off. But the moment her skin made contact with the iron she dropped them and cried out in pain. It was like the cool metal was burning hot and the nasty looking blisters started to rise to her palms. But that wasn't the worst part. A series of memories and imagines started to flash before of her eyes. Pete dying in her arms. Jackie crying behind the closed door. Jimmy Stone shouting at her. Mickey staying behind in the parallel world. Each memory caused the pain in her palms to grow and she dropped to her knees. The pain ran up her arms to her shoulders and head.

"Rose!"

The Doctor's voice seemed to come from somewhere far away. She felt his panic as he took her hand and sonicked it. The worry grew.

"Rose! Rose? Rose, I need you to think of something happy. Okay? Something that makes you happy."

Something happy, something happy. The Doctor. His new face popped into her mind, his grin, his hands on her hips, him kissing her. Her Doctor. I love you. You. No one else.

The pain eased. She opened her eyes and met the Doctor's worried gaze.

"What was that?" she asked, voice shakeing. Her palms were still hurting, but not as bad. She stood up.

"Psychic pain", the Doctor growled, looking from her to the Targeshé. "Turns all your emotional pain into physical pain. Just one chain of psychic pain could keep anyone down."

He let go of Rose and went to the Targeshé, his face full of rage.

"What have they done to you?" he said in a low voice. Rose could sense it, his anger, and she once again was glad to be on his side. As he bent to open the rest of the locks and move the chains away, careful not to touch them, Rose watched at the Targeshé open his mouth, showing her his two -inch-long black teeth.

"I'm sorry", she said softly, touching the scars on the sides of his jaws.

 _I am grateful_ , a voice, because this time it was definitely a voice, in her head said. _That you have heard my call and come to me. Now I can die without pain._

"Don't be ridiculous, you're not dying", the Doctor snapped as remaining chains around the beast's leg dropped and he quickly kicked them aside.

 _There was a time when I, as well, thought that I might survive. Not anymore. I am old, Doctor, and it is time for me to move on._

The Doctor unlocked the last chain that kept his long tail still and looked around angrily.

"Who did this to you?"

 _You should not hold a grudge on my behalf._

"I'm not holding a grudge. I'm really, properly angry! No one should have to go through something like that. Who did this to you?"

"Doctor", Rose said calmly, but he didn't even look at her. He pulled a bottle from his pocket and gave it to Rose.

"Put this on your palms. It helps them cure faster."

He turned around to see if there was any other way to get out. Somewhere further away they heard a door open and close. The Doctor squared his shoulders, and the oncoming storm was clear on his face. An alien came around the corner. It was about eight feet tall; a pale, naked, female figure, completely white, including its eyes, and it had a long mane that started at the top of its head and ended at the end of its long tale. It was hard to read its facial expression as it didn't seem to have pupils or eyebrows, but its mouth opened a little. Rose took that as a sign of surprise.

"Who are you?" asked the female. "How did you get in here?"

"I might ask you the same question", the Doctor said and there was none of his usual kindness in his voice. "But I know that you're Kabilian. So I'm gonna ask you something else. Why? Tarheshés are peaceful creatures, a race with great wisdom. Why did you do this?"

The Doctor was more than two feet shorter than the alien in front of him, but that didn't make him back of or try to reign in his fury. He looked so threatening that Rose couldn't blame the Kabilian when it took half a step backwards.

"Lucky!" shouted the alien. Soon there came another one, a bit taller and obviously male.

"Yes, Joy?" he asked before seeing them. "Who are they?"

"I asked, but they didn't answer", Joy said.

"Neither did you", Rose pointed out. She stepped next to the Doctor and took his hand to give him her support. "And I must say that we would very much like to have an answer. What has that beautiful creature back there ever done to you, huh?"

"He's on his own planet", the Doctor said with spite. "Why have you come to Tar'ah to torture its inhabitants?"

"We came here to look for a place to live", Lucky said, pointing at the Targeshé with his whip. "They started a war."

"You should've just stayed on your own planet and let the other creatures be", the Doctor ended in an ice-cold voice.

"No, we couldn't! Our planet was lost! We came here to look for safety, tried to work with them -"

"So you made the targeshé your slaves and wondered why they fought back?" the Doctor asked, his eyes raging even if his voice was calm.

"We only put them out of our way", Joy said coolly.

"What, so there's more of them?" Rose said, shocked. "More targeshé locked down using psychic pain?"

"Not anymore", Lucky said with a sly grin. Right then Rose didn't care how tall or hostile or violent the Kabilians might be, she took a step forward but the Doctor stopped her by pulling her back. He then dropped Rose's hand and stepped closer to the Kabilians.

"Lucky and Joy, I do like your names. A bit like ours. I'm the Doctor, and this is Rose. And that 'monster' in the corner over there, his name is Hayl. It means mercy in Gallifreyan."

When they heard the word, they flinched as if he had punched them in the face.

"You have no power over us, Time Lord", Joy spat.

The Doctor shook his head. "No, you're right, I don't. But he has."

Then many things happened at the same time. Hayl stood up and Lucky raised his hand holding the whip, snapping it in the air. Hayl growled and roared but didn't dare to take a step closer.

"See this?" Lucky said, brandishing the whip. "It's psychic pain. You wanna know how it feels to lose everything, time after time? How it affects your body?"

And with that he lashed the whip towards the Doctor. Rose reacted quicker than she would have thought possible. She pushed the Doctor aside, but she didn't have the time to dodge the weapon herself. The whip hit her on the chest. It hurt a lot more than she had thought it would; it was like she was hit by an axe. Her whole body burned. Gwyneth sacrificed herself. The Dalek killed itself. Jackie was cybernized. The Doctor was screaming as the void pulled her off the lever.

She fell, but the Doctor grabbed her before she hit the ground. She felt like her head was exploding, like all her limbs were being ripped apart. Someone was screaming; a horrible scream, and she thought for a while that they needed to help them before she realised it came from her own mouth. Something happy, she told herself. Think of something happy. The Doctor.

The Doctor jumping through the time portal. He is worth the monsters. Sarah Jane in the dark corridors. Some things are worth breaking your heart for.

"Rose?"

The Master dying in her arms.

"No", she whimpered. "No. No no no."

A child wearing a gas mask coming towards her, calling for their mother. The Doctor sending her away from Satellite Five, from Canary Wharf. Slitheen. Cybermen. Daleks. Sycorax. Awerewolf. And the Master, coughing blood, over and over again. I'm dying in your arms. Dying, dying, dying.

It all hailed down on her in one horrible, painful moment. She couldn't move, couldn't do anything but scream in agony.

#####

 **A/N:** Fun fact; the first time I wrote this chapter it was meant to be just to myself and there was only 10 and Rose. But somehow it made its way here. I hope you enjoyed reading it! I know I enjoyed writing it :)


	10. The Gift

**A/N:** Hello readers! I'm ready with my next chapter. Once again a HUGE thanks for my wonderful beta **anna1991** for correcting my same stupid mistakes over and over again.

In here you'll find out what's going on in the Doctor's head. And after this is one more chapter and then we are going back to the canon! Promise!

I would still love to hear your opinion so please leave me a note!

 **Disclaimer:** No, not mine.

 **The Gift**

The Doctor was in a bad mood. He shouldn't be, he knew it, but he couldn't help himself. Rose had left with the younger version of himself. And even though the reasoning was good and he knew that in his previous body he would have wanted Rose to come with him, he was still feeling it was a bit unfair. He wanted to be with Rose. Who knew what thoughts the younger version of himself would put into her head? Donna, who had been surprisingly quiet for a while now, started to speak.

"So, you change yourself when you're dying?" she asked.

"That's what's been keeping you so quiet, huh?"

"You change yourself when you're dying", Donna repeated.

"Yes, I change myself when I'm dying", the Doctor snapped.

"And that man over there is your previous self?" she asked, and as the Doctor nodded darkly, she continued. "And you're jealous of him?"

"I'm not jealous", he said defensively, mostly because it was true.

"Oh, you are so jealous! I can't believe this! You get jealous of yourself! You grow new bodies! What else do you do? Will there be three heads if one is cut off?"

"Donna, we have a bit more urgent things to do than talk about Time Lord biology."

"Oh, I think we have a lot of time to talk about how you're jealous of yourself!"

He really, really, really wasn't in the mood for this.

"Please, Donna, could you just drop it?"

She probably sensed that he meant it and fell silent. They walked in complete silence for a while, the only noise was coming from their steps in the jungle.

"Well, there's one thing good about this jungle", Donna said. "If anyone tries to attack, we can hear them from miles away."

"Unfortunately for us", the Doctor said, happy about the change of the subject, "we don't know what we're up against. It could be anything, really. There's this alien raise that is related to chameleons. And they're like ninjas; hey can move without a noise. They can even make their heartbeat stop. That sounds unrealistic and more like superhero stuff, but they really can do it. So, if there's something like that in here..."

He needed to turn around to make sure that Donna was still there. She had stopped and was looking at him, not shocked or scared, oh no, but angrily.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" she asked in a high-pitched voice.

"Um..." he tried to find a reason, any reason, to change the subject once again. "Did I tell you that the Targeshés, the habitants of Tar'ah, are creatures from the very beginning of the Universe? They are mythical creatures of great wisdom and intelligence..." His eyes fell on a nest in the bushes and he stopped talking.

"Donna, come here and look", he said, taking four long leaps and kneeling down next to the nest. There was one large black and blue egg in it. He stroked it gently. It was cool, and he frowned a little. It shouldn't be cold. The Targeshé never let their eggs cool down.

"Is that an egg?" asked Donna as she kneeled down next to him.

"Yeah", he said.

"But I thought you said that those... those..."

"Targeshés."

"... Targeshés are creatures of great wisdom or what ever it was."

"Not all intellectual creatures of the Universe are humanoids, Donna", the Doctor pointed out. "Or mammals."

"No, that's not... Okay. What are the Targeshés then? Birds?"

"Hmm", the Doctor hummed, running his fingers over the egg. "You'd call them dragons."

"What?" Donna yelped.

"I wonder where the mum is..."

"Oh, right. That's just great. Do you mean there might be a mum _dragon_ somewhere watching us touching her baby? Shouldn't we go?"

The Doctor frowned at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Well. If I were pregnant and some stranger would come and touch my belly without my permission..."

"Oh! Right. Let's go then."

They moved on. The Doctor saw three more nests with eggs but no one guarding them. It worried him, not because of what he saw – or didn't see – but because it reminded him of something he had forgotten and he now almost remembered. And that something was very not good, neither for them nor the Targeshé.

#####

After they had walked about twenty minutes in complete silence, the Doctor decided he was ready to talk about it. Or rather that he wanted to know what Donna had to say about it. Or that he wanted Donna to tell him that he was wrong in what he was thinking. Or... or he should stop thinking and start talking.

"Donna", he said, unsurely. "What do you think of... you know."

He didn't have to look at her to know that she was rolling her eyes.

"No, I really don't know. You have to tell me."

"Rose", he said. "She's been... different. Hasn't she?"

"Different how?"

"Distant. Like... like she... never mind, forget it."

He heard Donna sigh and got ready for whatever she was going to say.

"You keep telling that you're the cleverest thing in existence, and you can't see what's going on here?" she asked. "Oh, Spaceman..."

"What?"

"You're so thick. Don't you see how much she loves you? Do you really doubt that?"

He stopped walking and hesitated. What Donna said sounded so good. But for a while now he had felt that Rose was slipping away from him. He had locked his mind from her since it had started. He didn't know exactly when it had started, or why or how. He only knew that something was off and that Rose wanted it to be like that as she never reached out to him. He couldn't even tell when he had stopped joining her in the bedroom, but it had been like that for a while now. Neither of them spoke about it and he just thought that it was what Rose wanted. But if Donna said that Rose loved him... Maybe he had been wrong? Could it be that he had been wrong? Then why...

"She doesn't want to sleep with me anymore", he said, not thinking how Donna understood it. She shouted an load 'oi!' and slapped him on the shoulder. "I wasn't talking about that!" he argued, rubbing his shoulder. "I meant sleeping as a natural state of mind during the altered consciousness -"

Donna rolled her eyes.

"- and that's what she doesn't want to do. With me, I mean. She does it alone, behind locked doors."

"So she asked you not to come to her bedroom anymore?" Donna asked.

"Well... no. Not exactly, no. I just kind of thought that she might not want that, so..."

"So it might be that she thinks that you don't want to go into her bedroom?"

The Doctor opened his mouth and closed it again. Was that it? Could Donna be right? He hoped she was right. What if she was right? How was he going to -.

A horrible feeling filled him and he stopped thinking and paled. Something was wrong. He couldn't tell what it was, but it was like a memory he almost remembered, like waking up in the middle of the night with a horrible pressure on his chest and knowing that he had been woken up by a nightmare. Or like the moment when someone's in their office and they start to think about whether they turned off the coffeemaker at home. It was kind of like the pain that the Ood singing had caused. But when the realization hit, it hurt even more. It was Rose. Something had happened and he almost remembered, and it was not good at all. He swung around and ran, Donna at his heels, asking what was going on but giving up as soon as she noted he wasn't going to answer her.

#####

When they reached the wrong TARDIS, he saw the other him carry a limp body in his arms, and his anger boiled to the surface. Finally, he had reached them. Rose was pale and hardly conscious; her breath was shallow and quick. She was clearly in a lot of pain. And her shirt... he swallowed. Her shirt was covered in fresh blood.

"I stopped the bleeding", the other Doctor said breathlessly, muscles shaking after carrying her for so long. "But that was everything I could do without the TARDIS and the med bay."

"What did you do to her?" he spat. The Doctor in leather glared him in despite.

"I haven't done anything! You're the one who's caused this!"

"Me? I wasn't even there!"

Without asking he grapped Rose to his arms and, as Donna opened the door, carried her into his previous TARDIS. The other Doctor followed them to the med bay. Both of them ignored the discomfort of the TARDIS. The Doctor laid Rose on the bed and checked her racing pulse.

"What happened?" he asked with a hard voice.

"Psychic pain."

"What?!"

"She pushed me away", the Doctor said worriedly, rounding the table and taking her hand. She whimpered.

"Don't leave me..."

"She's been begging me not to leave her", the younger Doctor said, throwing an angry look at his older self. "And as I have no intensions to -."

"Neither have I!"

"Well, she obviously doesn't know that!"

Their argument was cut short when Rose opened her mouth and screamed in agony. Then she fell dead silent, like she wasn't able to breath, shuddered violently and her whole body arched off the bed. She clenched her jaw and pink suds appeared in the corners of her mouth. The Doctor felt his panic rising and looked around.

"Give me some adrenalin", he said.

"Adrenalin? Are you insane?! Her heart is already beating far too rapidly!"

"I know what I'm doing!"

"Obviously you don't!"

"Will you two just cut it out and help her!" Donna screamed. She handed the Doctor a syringe and, after checking that it was what he needed, he injected it into her hard muscle. It took a few seconds that felt like an eternity. Then her skin started to feel almost too hot to younger him let go of her hand, eyes wide, but he hold her hand in his, looking at her.

"Please..." he whispered. "Please, please, please..."

And her body went limp.

#####

"Rose?"

She could hear the Doctor's voice. She could feel his cool hand on her sweaty, hot cheek.

"Rose, please. Please, Rose. Come back to me."

She tried to answer him, but her mouth was dry and she was so tired. All her limbs felt heavy. She knew she had been in a lot of pain, but right now she wasn't, and she wondered where the pain had gone. The Doctor's hand caressed her face.

"Look what you've done!"

It was another Doctor! She remembered it now; there had been two of them, and she...

"She's not dead, she has a pulse!"

She wanted to open her eyes to see the faces. But it was very hard. She was so tired. She struggled for a while.

"For now!"

She finally had enough strength to open her eyes. But she didn't see the faces she wanted to see. She saw space, green and red and sparkly. A voice that had a familiar echo to it, the way it was electric somehow, carried through the view. "Destroyer of the worlds", it said. And then another voice, familiar as well, almost laughed, "One will die!" She saw the Doctor running out of the TARDIS, and an electric flash hitting him on the chest, making him collapse. He cried in agony, tears of pure pain running down his cheeks. "No better place to", he said. And then nothing but echoing silence.

She gasped and the view became clear. And as she saw the face of her Doctor, the very one she had just seen dying, she started to cry.

"Rose?" he asked, concerned.

"I... I saw something...", she gasped as he pulled her into a hug. "It was this, this galaxy or something. And..." but she couldn't end it, couldn't tell it. She kept it safely behind locked doors. The Doctor looked worried, almost scared.

"What do you mean, you saw something?" the younger Doctor said. "Something to do with the telepathical link?"

"Kinda", the older one said and let go of Rose. "Doesn't matter right now."

"You sure? 'Cause she seems quite upset."

"She's just been hit by psychic pain", the Doctor snapped. "What do you think that causes?"

"Not seeing things, that's for sure."

"No no no, that was the adrenalin", he answered like it was obvious and wouldn't lead to further questions.

"Last time I checked, it didn't cause things like that, either!" the younger Doctor said in a loud voice. He seemed unsettled and stepped closer to Rose, who touched his arm gently and reassuringly.

"It's complicated", the Doctor said. The younger version turned to look at Rose, a dark and scared look in his blue eyes. It stung her to see him so nervous.

"Oh, complicated, huh?" he said. "I bet you use that word a lot. One of your favourite words, isn't it?"

"Hey, boys!" Rose interrupted, her fingers on her temples. "As nice as it is to have two gorgeous men fighting over me, could you zip it? My head aches and I would really appreciate it if you two wouldn't make so much noise", she swung her legs over the edge of the med bed and jumped to the floor. She didn't realise her legs were still wobbly and she stumbled, grabbing the first thing she could, which was her present Doctor's arm.

"Sorry", she said, pulling herself up and letting go. He looked somewhat sad but shook it off quickly. "What happened with Hayl and the Kabilians?" she asked the younger Doctor.

"Hayl's fine, he's free. I got Lucky and Joy behind locked doors, I'm taking them to the Shadow Proclamation where they will deal with them."

"Where's Hayl?" she asked. "I want to see him."

Both of the Doctors looked at her silently and she turned to Donna, who was silent and pale.

"Donna? What is it?"

"Well, you're... you're all bloody", she said, gesturing at her. She looked at her blue shirt that was now covered in blood.

"Well, okay, I change first", she said.

"Yeah, but, um", the older Doctor said, "this isn't the right TARDIS. And while you do have clothes in here, I think that the younger version of you would know if she was lacking something."

Rose stopped on the door.

"Then it doesn't matter. I need to see Hayl before we go."

#####

Now that the dungeon's darkness wasn't hiding Hayl's figure in its shadows, Rose was able to see how big he really was. And how bad a shape he was in. He was standing there in the valley, his eyes closed and head held into the wind.

"Hey", Rose greeted him quietly, stopping next to him. He opened his eyes.

 _You have a strong heart, Rose_ , he said. _And the courage to walk over mountains for the man you love._

"Yeah", she said. "A little too much, I've heard."

 _The power of love is the greatest gift of them all. Hold on to that._

His words touched her and she blinked tears from her eyes.

"What about you? Are you gonna be alright?"

"Rose..." the older Doctor said gently, stepping closer and taking her hand in his. The gesture was surprising but nice, and she pulled him closer. But at the same time, the single word he had said made her understand.

"You can't die", she said loudly.

 _All things must come to an end at some point._

"No", Rose argued, still holding the Doctor's hand as his presence in her mind gave her more comfort than anything else ever could.

"Rose", the Doctor said again, but this time his voice was different. "It's not the end. We found eggs. There is a whole new generation of Targeshés in the forest."

Rose looked at him.

"But there's no one to raise them", she whispered and turned back to Hayl. "You need to take care of the babies, yeah?"

 _Our children are born ready to live. My last gift to them is life itself._

"What does that mean?"

But Hayl didn't answer. He spread his large, torn wings and, with a small bounce, flew off. Tears started to pour down Rose's cheeks as she watched him fly high in the sky. She had to close her eyes when he flew towards the sun. But when she opened them again, she saw something golden and warm raining to the ground.

"What's that?" Donna asked, mesmerised.

"That's what helps the eggs to stay warm until it is time for them to hatch", the younger Doctor said. Rose moved closer to the Doctor whose hand she was holding and, with a bit of hesitation, rested her forehead against his chest. His hands wrapped around her back and she sighed in relief.

#####

"Here she is, good old TARDIS", the Doctor said, patting his TARDIS and grimaced as his hand got covered with goo.

"I told you not to leave it in the middle of the jungle", Donna said.

"Well... We'll give her a wash", the Doctor sighed, taking the key out and opening the door. "You can handle those two?" he asked his previous self.

"They're locked into the TARDIS", he answered. His future self nodded his approval.

"Well then. Off we go!" he said, gesturing to the door.

"See you", Donna said to the Doctor in leather. "I mean... whatever", she stepped into the TARDIS. Rose went to her first Doctor, who was smiling.

"Are you... are you gonna forget all about this now?" she swallowed. He nodded.

"Until this day, yes", he said. "He remembers it now", he added, nodding towards his future self. Rose swallowed again.

"I'm gonna miss you", she said silently.

"You got me", he said, frowning. She blinked tears from her eyes.

"Do I?"

His frown deepened and Rose hugged him. He squeezed her against him.

"Whatever you think, it's not true", he whispered. "Please don't leave me."

She hid her sob by burrowing her head into his shoulder. Then she pulled back.

"You'll see me soon", she said, kissed him quickly on the cheek and left, half running back to the TARDIS. She didn't wait for the Doctor to come in before she headed to the corridors to her room.

#####

Rose took the blood-covered shirt off and looked at herself in the mirror. Her whole upper body was bloody. Across her chest ran a long scar, left by the whip. While the salve the Doctor had given her had cured her hands, the scar on her chest wouldn't heal so easily. It was red and angry-looking, and its edges were raised, leaving a deep tear in the middle. She touched it and winced in pain. She was a bit worried how the shower would feel but took the rest of her clothes off anyway and went into the shower. The hot water made the wound throb, but it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. She dried herself and dressed in clean, warm and soft clothes, noticing that thankfully the vest covered the whole scar, and left the room to hide in the lab because she thought that it was the last place the Doctor would look for her. She sat on the floor, took the Master's ring out of her pocket and rolled it between her fingers, not really thinking about it. She was so confused right now. First there had been weeks when the Doctor hardly touched her, and if he did, he was all locked up, and then, then he met his previous self and hugged her, kissed her even. She couldn't really find a reason for that kiss; it couldn't be some stupid masculinity thing of marking his territory, could it? She leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes, swallowing the lump in her throat. She shouldn't leave, she wouldn't leave, but she didn't know what she should and would do. She couldn't live like this anymore.

#####

She heard the door open but held her eyes shut. Feeling the Doctor's eyes on her she swallowed again. She could picture him there, standing tall, hands in his pockets, head held up high, without a trace of a smile on his face.

"You should go to sleep", he said in a low voice. "After what you've gone through today..."

"Don't wanna", she said, still not opening her eyes. "I'll only have nightmares", she paused. "After all those things I saw and felt today -"

"Don't think about them", the Doctor interrupted. Finally she opened her eyes and turned to look up at the Doctor.

"How could I not? Worst of them is still happening."

She waited for the Doctor to ask what she meant, but he didn't. He never did, and he once again misunderstood her. And she was too tired to explain herself. She turned her eyes back to the ring between her fingers.

"Why did you do that?" the Doctor asked suddenly.

"What?" she asked, eyes still on the ring. She knew what he meant. She had pushed him away because she had been scared that he couldn't take it, that his emotional scars turning into physical pain would kill him. She turned to look straight at him, his dark, worried, scared eyes. He read the answer from her eyes and he took a step closer to her, a soft, sad smile on his lips.  
"I can take a lot more than you think, you know", he said.

"Yeah", she and turned her gaze away again. "And a lot less than you think."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged, knowing he still wouldn't talk to her. He never did. And if he never talked about his feelings, why should she? He came closer and stopped, turned to leave and stopped again. His shoulders sagged as he sighed. He searched something in his pockets and turned back to Rose.

"Here", he said, offering her his closed hand. She looked at it and then him.

"What is it?"

"Open your hand."

She did as he asked, and he let the golden chain drop into her palm.

"For the ring", he said simply. Rose looked at the chain and then back at the Doctor, standing up and wrapping her arms around him. She felt that by giving her the chain he had finally accepted the Master as a part of her life.

"Thank you", she whispered. His hand went to her back and he sighed deeply, like this was everything he'd ever wanted. And then Rose felt him let his barriers down and fill her mind. She pulled him a bit closer and kissed him, shyly and asking, but he answered with so much fierceness that it took her completely by surprise, even more so when he pushed her against the wall. This kiss was so much more like his previous self, so full of hidden raging emotions, and she felt that even now he was holding back even now. She let down her barriers, let him know that she liked this, let it go wherever it was going, and enjoyed every bit of it.


	11. Breaking Point

**A/N:** Hello my lovely readers! Here's the next chapter. Next one will be canon, as I promised. This is completely from the Doctors pov. And I'm still a bit proud how I've written him :D Please tell me what you think, do I even have any readers? I would like to know if there's any hope with this story here or shall I just return to my own novel that will likely never be published...

And again a big great hurrah to **anna1991** , my wonderful, patient, hardworking beta!

 **Disclaimer:** The usual.

 **Breaking point**

When the Doctor had given the chain to Rose, he really hadn't thought about what it meant to him. Maybe he had thought that she'd think it unnecessary, that she'd put both it and the ring aside. He wasn't complaining about what had happened after that; he loved the fact that Rose wasn't running away from him anymore. But watching Rose sleeping next to him, he couldn't help but notice the still red, angry-looking scar that the whip had left on her skin. It was likely it'd never heal completely, and as long as they were together, like this or any other way, that scar would remind him of how much pain he had caused her. How close it had been, all of it, but mostly him losing her for good. He was losing her anyway, in a way, but it felt better to know that she was happy and not... that she was not at all. She hummed silently and her lips stretched into a soft smile. He looked at her lips and wanted nothing as badly as to touch her to know what she was dreaming about. Was it about the Master? Surely it was, because he didn't dare to think she might dream about himself. He hoped she did. Now he was thinking about it. Why was his brain doing things he didn't want it to do? He turned his eyes away from her lips to her closed eyes, long, dark eyelashes resting on her perfectly round and wonderful cheeks. There were so many parts of Rose he loved. He loved all of her but some parts more than others. Like her lips. And the soft spot of bare skin right behind her ear. And her bellybutton which, he knew, was really ticklish, and touching it made her not just giggle but laugh and kick. And her brown eyes that were deeper than the deepest space and he had been really deep in the deepest space and that place was really deep. Good, now he was thinking about space and not being cheesy. He tried to concentrate on his thoughts of space. Warp drives and wormhole refractors and the only thing you need most of all is a hand to hold and now, now he was back at square one. So he sighed, stood up, pulled the blankets over Rose and started to dress. Rose shifted, turned to her side and reached out with her hand to touch the empty space on the bed. She blindly felt around for a while as if to make sure it was empty and then opened her eyes a bit.

"Where you going?" she murmured.

"Go back to sleep", he said softly. "I'll go and check on something."

"I'll come with you", she said, sitting up, pulling the blanket with her to cover herself. The Doctor smiled. Rose, his wonderful Rose, who had been sleeping less than an hour, was waking up for him. She really shouldn't because she needed to sleep and he didn't and she really couldn't help him with what he was going to do. He moved next to the bed and sat on the edge, lightly touching Rose's cheek.

"Ever told you about Davros?" he asked. She shook her head. "He created the Daleks."

"What?"

"When I gave you adrenalin, you saw stuff", he said carefully.

"Yeah. Yeah, I saw space, I told you that."

"Not just space. Rose, I was touching you. I saw it too."

A dark, sad look came into her eyes.

"Sorry", the Doctor said quickly, fearing Rose might be angry at him because of that. "Your shields weren't exactly up. Well, they were all down. It just kinda poured over me."

"You shouldn't have looked", she whispered. "I didn't want you to..."

"Don't think about that now", he said, mostly because he didn't want to think about it at that moment.

"I saw you to die, Doctor."

"About Davros", the Doctor said, scared where this conversation might go. "That voice. It was Davros. But it couldn't be, because Davros died. I saw him die in the Time War."

Rose reached out her hand and touched his shoulder, sliding her hand down his arm to his hand and rubbing his knuckles to make him open the fist he hadn't noticed he was clenching.

"We'll figure it out, yeah?"

He swallowed.

"Yeah."

#####

Once again he did everything he could to find a clue to follow. He landed the TARDIS where Kabilis was meant to be, but there was just empty space. He tried to find traces of Davros but there were none. And it was so frustrating and he wasn't meant to not find things when he was looking for them. He was worried and scared and the fact that Rose didn't belong to him alone didn't help. Sure, they were close again, they were holding hands again, they were kissing again, but still he knew that something was different. Or more like everything was different. He took Rose and Donna to Terr Na to see the northern lights. They spent a day on the red beaches of Hal. They went to see the very first spacewalk in 5097. And everywhere they went, the Master was there. The ring was resting on Rose's neck, right above the neckline of her shirt. Sometimes she picked it up, looked at it and smiled fondly. She never took it of. Not when she took a shower, not when she went to bed. And the Doctor blamed himself for being jealous but couldn't stop. He felt that there was a third wheel when there weren't even three wheels. And soon he started to feel that _he_ was the third wheel. He tried to push the idea away, but it grew and grew and Rose wasn't really helping.

#####

The Doctor found Rose in her room, sitting at her vanity table and playing with the ring. She did that all the time, and it felt bad, but he let it be, thinking that she needed it for some reason.

"Doctor?" she said, turning to him.

"Yeah?" he said almost eagerly and stepped inside.

"What does this say?" she asked, handing him the ring. His muscles tensed. Here they were. He knew the text on the ring; he had had one of those in his younger years as well, before he had left Gallifrey in the first place. He took the ring anyway and looked at it.

"It says Time Academy, The Deca, Koschei", he said simply, giving it back to Rose.

"What does that mean?"

The Doctor looked like he really didn't want to talk about it. As he answered, he didn't look at Rose but in the opposite direction.

"It's the Master's school, the group he belonged in and the name he used for himself in that group."

Rose blinked.

"He had a gang name?"

"There were several of us who had one", the Doctor said in a tight voice. His hands were in fists and he hoped that Rose would stop asking. But she didn't, she wanted to know more. She wanted to know the Master better and he wanted to tell her that he was dead, _dead_ , and was not coming back.

"Several of _you_?" she asked curiously. "Does that mean you had a gang name, too?" she couldn't help the teasing smile that pulled at the corner of her lips. "What was it?"

The Doctor stood up, still not looking at Rose. He needed to get away. He didn't want to stay and be questioned about The Deca, or Koschei, or Theta, or anything that had something to do with anything like that.

"I think I heard Donna", he said. It was so clearly a lie that he knew Rose knew it was a lie. She turned her face back to the ring and he wondered whether she was thinking of the Master.

"Oh. Okay. You go, I'll... I'll be there soon."

He left, heading to the console room. He checked that everything was fine and climbed down to do some tinkering to get away from his thoughts.

#####

She was in love with the Master, the Doctor realised. How hadn't he seen this before? How was he so thick in things like that? Why did it have to be like this, why did the Master take everything away from him? He hated him and he wanted him to be alive so he could kill him. He wanted him to be alive so that Rose could go with him and be happy and he could move on or at least try to move on or stop thinking about her or forget her or something. None of these were an option. He hated himself. He hated everything. It wasn't fair! Why did the universe hate him so much that it was taking the only thing that really mattered away from him, again?! He needed to make things clear. He needed to tell her that he understood, even if he really didn't, because that was what people did, wasn't it? Didn't loving someone mean putting their needs before one's own? So he went to find the one he loved to tell her he would let her go if that was what she needed.

#####

She was in the library, sitting on a sofa and reading a magazine.

"Hey", he said. She looked up and smiled a bit in a way that made him feel that maybe everything would be fine after all.

"Hey", she answered. There was an awkward silence and the Doctor had never felt so anxious and unsettled with Rose before. He shifted a bit.

"I..." he began and paused, cleared his throat and thought that he had never been in so much lack of words. "Do you want to leave?" he asked and thought that maybe he had been too straight but then again, maybe it was best to get it out quickly and with as little pain as possible. She looked at him and she wasn't smiling anymore. Instead she looked shocked. Had he done something wrong? Was he pushing Rose away? He might be very human-like in this body, he was like that because of Rose, but some parts were way too human for him. Like this. This was too human. He should've known that trying to be human was too much to ask from someone who wasn't human.

"Do you want me to leave?" she asked and he stopped thinking about being human and started thinking about why she wanted to make this so hard for him.

"I want what's best for you", he said. "I want... I want you to be happy", he tried not to look at her while he was talking. He looked at the books and at the pool and at his feet but not at Rose, never Rose, because he was thinking that she was smiling because he had given her permission to go.

"What's best for me", she repeated.

"Yeah", he said. "So... if you want... I mean, we can check the ring and..." he swallowed throat was so dry and he had an urgent need to drink but there was nothing to drink in there. "If you want", he ended and wasn't sure if he had said what he meant to say or not. He dared to throw a glimpse at Rose. She looked astonished and pale and her lips were apart and oh how much he wished she would say that what she wanted was to stay with him.

"Why does this sound like you want to get rid of me?" she asked quietly. He looked away again.

"I don't know", he said. "I just... I just feel that you'd be happier with the... with the man you love."

A pause. He could hear the TARDIS snarl and hum. He could hear the small waves hitting the edges of the pool. Damn, he could hear his own heartbeat.

"With the man I love", she repeated again. Why was she repeating his words? "You know what? I'm sick of having this conversation again and again", she said in a calm voice. "I'm sick of telling you I love you every time you get doubts."

He swallowed as her words echoed in his mind. How could she be sick of telling him something she never told him? He wanted to hear her confession of loving _him_ and not the Master, but she didn't.

"You're sick of loving me?" he asked quietly.

"Well, right now, yeah, I am", she snapped. There was a long pause and he could almost hear her heartbeat, unsteady and rapid. Her cheeks heated up and she was breathing heavily, looking firlmy at him, and then she breathed out and closed her eyes.

"I didn't mean that", she said.

"You sure?" he asked because he was positive she did mean it, even if she didn't know it herself, and it hurt. His words only seemed to make things worse. Her eyes flew open and they were full of anger and he hadn't known that there could be that much anger in Rose's eyes.

"This is exactly what I meant!" she yelled and her yelling at him surprised him. Not because she'd never yell at him but because it came so suddenly and loud. "I can't keep doing this; you suck everything out of me! I keep feeling that it's my fault that you are unhappy! I blame myself for every stupid fight we have that _you_ start!"

Tears started to pour down her cheeks and he hoped they were tears of sadness, but he knew better. He stood still and let her get it all out, even though every word she said hurt like hell and he was sure that this, this very moment, would end it. She would want to get out, leave, and he'd be left alone and scared and so so -

"And I'm mad at myself because I keep saying things that you repeatedly misunderstand!"

She paused, not able to continue because either she was out of air or she didn't know what to say or she was just too angry to say another word. He thought he should say something, but he only came up with two words and he knew how much Rose hated to hear those words.

"Don't you have anything to say!" she more yelled than asked.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked and knew immediately that those were the very wrong words and wanted to take them back. He even took half a step forward, like he could catch the words and swallow them. Her cheeks reddened with anger.

"Oh, that's where you want to go? So it's my fault all over again?"

"No", he said. "Rose. I have no idea what I should say because I keep saying the wrong thing without knowing it is the wrong thing. I'm new at this. I don't know how things like this go. I try my best but I always go wrong."

And, again, that seemed to be a wrong thing to say.

"That's your excuse for everything", she said. Well, at least she wasn't shouting anymore. "You're new at this, I get it. But if you think that I have dated an alien before, you're wrong."

"Well, technically -" he started but cut it off when he saw Rose's face. "I'm sorry", he said. She shook her head.

"I don't care. I'm done with this."

And with that, she left.

#####

He did his best not to go to her. She didn't want to see him and he wanted to do what she wanted him to do. And he wanted to take some space from her, just so that it wouldn't hurt so much when she'd finally go and leave him alone. People used to say that things like this should be ripped off like a band-aid but he disagreed because if he ripped Rose off his life once and for all he would tear apart, he was sure of it, he would bleed to death and never been fixed up again.

He hid in the library, not the best place, he knew, but he needed to look up the history of Kabilis. What was interesting was that there was nothing about the planet going missing in any of the books he could find. The history was the same, it hadn't been re-written, it had never gone missing. So why was it missing now?

"Doctor?"

He whirled around to see Rose, standing in the doorway, looking gorgeous and wonderful and... and sad and like she had been crying. About the Master, he guessed.

"Yeah?"

"Is... is everything okay?" she asked because she was Rose, and Rose asked people who she cared for things like that. Oh yes, he knew she cared for him, Rose wouldn't stop caring for anyone for whom she had felt affection, unless they were like Jimmy Stone who didn't deserve her love. Did he deserve it? He wasn't sure.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm alright", he said and he knew she knew he was lying and he knew she knew he knew she knew and that was all going to run out of control and he really should stop overthinking. Or thinking altogether.

"It's just..." Rose began and looked shy and hesitant and was nervously playing with the chain, and the ring rolled to the left and to the right and to the left again like laughing at him. He hated the ring. "It's just that you've been acting a bit weird lately. And I thought that someone must speak first and as it's obviously not gonna be you..."

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked. He hoped she wanted to talk about them, although all conversations about them had been a huge failure before. But he wanted to be hopeful and think that maybe this time it wouldn't be. She shrugged, and her eyes were fixed on the ring.

"Anything", she said. "I mean... We don't talk anymore. I miss it, us talking. You telling me about your adventures...", she looked up at him and smiled and oh how much he loved that smile and those lips that were so soft and warm and he shouldn't think about her lips right now because if he did, he would just want to kiss her and she didn't want to be kissed, not my him at least and he shouldn't be thinking that either.

"I thought that maybe you wouldn't want to talk about... that", he said.

"What then?" Rose asked.

"About... about the Master", he said, nodding towards the ring. "I thought you wanted to talk about him. I'd understand. If you did. Want to talk about him. I mean. That you love him", he swallowed. "I know you love him."

"Yeah", Rose said slowly and patiently and a bit fustratedly, and it broke the slowly growing thing if there even had been a thing to grow. "I've told you before that I loved him."

But not the way I love you, he thought. She had said that then but did not add that now, so maybe she didn't mean that now, maybe she didn't love him anymore. He swallowed again.

"Yeah", he answered. They were silent and he hated to be silent because then he started to think and thinking was a big mistake.

"What are you thinking?" asked Rose, who read him all too well and he wished she didn't because he didn't want her to feel sorry for her. He wanted her to know that he knew what she really wanted. So he started to speak the first words that came to his mind.

"I know, Rose", he said and did his best to smile.

"Know what?" she asked, frowning. The ring was still rolling and he still hated it.

"That you're just here because the Master died."

Now he had said it. It had jumped out of his mouth. And he immidiately regretted his words, especially when he saw the hurt on Rose's face. He didn't know where the words had come from, maybe they had been coming all along or whatever. Now he wanted to take them back. He opened his mouth to say he hadn't meant it, but the words didn't come out. He closed his mouth.

"Right", she said slowly, the pain on her face turning into anger. "So if that's what you're thinking, then maybe it's better that we stop whatever this is and go back to just being friends."

Her words hit him like mallets, every one harder than the one before, the last one so hard that he couldn't breathe for a second. But she looked so determined and angry and not at all like she didn't mean it, so he let it go. If that was what she wanted... if it made her happy... it would hurt but if that was what he needed to do, then he would let her go.

"Fine", he said silently, turning his back at her. He didn't want her to feel guilty for hurting him. He didn't want her to be with him because he needed her; he wanted her to be with him because she needed him.

"Fine!"

She turned her back at him and marched out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. He immidiately wanted to run after her, take her in his arms and ask her forgiveness, beg her not to leave him. But he needed to let her go, he needed to... he needed her! He buried his face into her hands and took three deep breaths. He could do this. He had done this before. His hearts... they had been broken so many times before. What difference would one more time make? But the pain didn't leave him; he couldn't control himself and started to cry. It felt almost humiliating. He was a Time Lord, Time Lords should be able to control their bodies better, control their emotions better. Time Lords shouldn't feel this strongly. Now he understood why. He had always known that the cybermen took away their feelings so that nobody could hurt them, and he had hurt before oh so many times. But this... was this how it felt to really have your heart broken? He had thought his hearts had shattered when he had lost Rose for the first time. And now… He took several short breaths, trying to calm himself. He shook himself violently, rubbed his eyes and left to find Donna.


	12. Realisation

**A/N:** Hello readers and thank you for reading! So here we are, back in canon, and it's Sontarantime! I hope you like the changes that I made and are to come in the next chapter. Tell me what you think, I'd love to know your opinion!

Once again all honor belongs to my amazing beta **anna1991**!

 **Disclaimer:** Nothing belongs to me.

 **Realisation**

They had had their worst argument since she had met him. Rose felt that something had broken between them, something that couldn't be so easily fixed. She didn't know what she should do. If the Doctor didn't want her anymore... where was she to go? She couldn't be just friends with him, that she knew, and even if the Doctor could pretend... or maybe he didn't need to pretend. He was a Time Lord; Time Lords weren't meant to love. Maybe the whole love thing had been something that wouldn't have lasted in the first place. Maybe he had just stopped loving her. A new stream of tears poured down her cheeks. How many tears were there left to be cried? She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She just needed to breathe and be cool and everything would go just fine. Right?

#####

She opened the door that she ought to lead to her room but ended up in a room she had never thought to see again. There was a living view on the walls; a grey and drizzly day. The bed was unmade and the table was full of covered pictures. On the wall next to the table was a pile of drawings. Just the way she had left them. Her old prison cell. Why had the TARDIS led her here? She thought of leaving, turned and found the door locked.

"Oh, come on!"

She kicked the wall and the lights flickered. The TARDIS made an offended kind of noise, but Rose was not going to apologise. "What've I done? Go and lock the Doctor somewhere!"

The TARDIS hummed loudly and the walls turned blank.

"Really mature", Rose hissed. She kicked the wall again, sat on the floor and wrapped her arms around her knees, tilted her head back and closed her eyes.

#####

In her dream she was in her room on the Valiant. The door opened and Lucy stepped in. Her eye was black.

"Did he do that?" Rose asked.

The picture changed.

The Master pointed his laser screwdriver at Jack.

"You know what's the best part? I can kill him again!" he laughed.

The picture changed again.

Oliver was in her room.

"What's the Master like?" she asked.

"Brutal", Oliver said. "Cold, manipulative, evil, anxious, violent. He's constantly changing his mood and mind. He's very competitive. He has a short temper. He mostly communicates by yelling."

The picture changed.

She was in the observation room and behind the glass was the Doctor, tied to a chair, and the Master sat opposite of him.

"I have Rose", he said simply. "And if you're not behaving, I will make sure she knows it."

The Doctor's eyes went dark. The Master stood up slowly and walked behind the Doctor, placing his hands on his shoulders and leaning down.

"Do you ever think of it, Doctor?" the Master whispered into the Doctor's ear. "Do you ever wonder how she would kiss? What her mouth would taste like? How her warm, bare skin would feel against yours? How her fingers would run through your hair?"

"Stop it", the Doctor growled.

"How she would sigh under you, yell your name in -"

"I said stop it!" he shouted, his hands tearing at the ties.

She woke up, the Doctor's shout still echoing in her ears. Her eyes felt sticky; mascara and tears had glued her lashes together. She stood, stretched and went to the bathroom to wash her face and put on some fresh makeup. She stared at her pale reflection in the mirror. Why had she seen those memories? They were some of those she had tried to forget. Tears started to form again and she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds and blew it out slowly. She went to the door and laid her hand on the handle.

"Let me out?" she asked. There was no answer. "Okay, listen. I'm sorry I kicked you", she said. The lock clicked and she smiled. "Thanks. Love you!" she patted the wall and opened the door.

#####

"Left hand down, left hand down!" Doctor's voice carried to the hallway. Rose frowned a bit and then heard a nervous laughter-like sound from the TARDIS.

"Getting a bit too close to the 1980's."

"What am I gonna do? Put a dent in them?" Donna argued. Rose chuckled and touched the wall.

"Be a good girl to her, will you?" she said. "Not like you were to me and crashed us on Earth in 1347 in the middle of the Black Death. That wasn't nice."

The TARDIS blinked her lights at her and she stuck her tongue out at her before heading to the console room. She stopped when she heard a phone ring.

"That's a phone", Donna said in surprise. "I mean, I know you have a phone, but I thought it was only for Rose. And why would Rose call you when she's on the TARDIS? She _is_ on the TARDIS, isn't she?"

Rose climbed up the stairs as the Doctor answered the phone. Donna looked at her.

"He didn't always have a phone", Rose said to her as the Doctor frowned, put the phone between his ear and shoulder and started to switch the settings. "He got it from Martha in case she ever needed to get in touch."

"Martha?" Donna asked. "The Martha he travelled with before you two found each other and met me?"

"Yeah, that Martha."

Donna threw a glance at the Doctor, who hung up the phone before dashing to the other side of the console and then back again. Rose grabbed the console next to Donna.

"And that Martha just called him?" Donna shouted over noises of the TARDIS.

"Seems so, yeah!"

They landed and all three fell. Rose remembered all the dozens of times they had done that laughing. Now the Doctor jumped up quickly.

"Mind telling us what's goin' on?" Rose asked a bit coolly. He stopped while putting on his coat.

"Martha called, said there's something we could help her with. Don't know anything more."

He turned around and ran to the door.

"He's eager to see her", Rose muttered, crossing her arms. Donna gave her a comforting smile and patted her shoulder with one hand.

"Oh, I'm sure that's just a friend kind of eagerness", she said. Rose smiled back at her.

"Yeah. You go, I'll grab my coat."

After Donna had left, Rose took her time and leaned against the console, breathing deeply. There came a low purring from the TARDIS and Rose knew she tried to comfort her as well. It didn't really help. She was scared she might have crossed an invisible line when she asked about the ring. She had hurt him. It made her feel more angry than guilty. She didn't care if this was new, too domestic and whatnot, she couldn't keep doing this for long. She needed him to trust her. She took one final breath, took her coat and opened the TARDIS door.

"She's engaged, you prawn!" came Donna's loud sigh, and Rose saw Martha wave her left hand around. She smiled as she joined the group.

"Hey, that's great!" she said with a grin. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"Tom Milligan", Martha said, looking at the Doctor like she was waiting for him to remember who he was. "He's in pediatrics. Working out in Africa right now, and yes, I know. I've got a doctor who disappears off to distant places. Tell me about it", she said, rolling her eyes but smiling.

"Is he skinny?" Donna asked.

"No, he's sort of... strong."

"He", Donna said, pointing at the Doctor, "is too skinny for words. You give him a hug, you get a paper cut!"

"Oh, I'd rather you were fighting", the Doctor muttered.

Rose chuckled and the Doctor looked at her, but when she met his gaze, he quickly turned his face away. She looked at Martha and opened her mouth to ask how they had met when Martha got a message on the radiophone on her hip.

"Doctor Jones, report to base please. Over."

Rose arched an eyebrow as Martha raised the walkie-talkie to her lips.

"This is Doctor Jones. Operation Blue Sky is go go go. I repeat, this is a go!"

The Doctor's mouth opened slightly and he turned to look at Rose, but she didn't face him. She followed Martha and Donna, and the Doctor soon joined them. They stopped to watch as lots of UNIT soldiers went by, some of them driving trucks and vans. They were heading towards a building, and Rose had just enough time to wonder if they thought something was wrong in there when a voice from a loudspeaker announced, "All workers, lay down your tools and surrender."

"Greyhound Six to Trap One. B Section, go, go, go!" Martha said into her radiophone. "Search the ground floor, grid pattern Delta."

"What are you searching for?" the Doctor said. Rose turned to look at Martha as well, interested to hear her explanation of what was going on.

"Illegal aliens", was her simple answer. Rose looked at the Doctor to see his reaction. She was sure he didn't like this; all these men with guns running around, ready to shoot people. It was wrong. It was completely, utterly wrong. Why was Martha with them? Rose was sure she hadn't been like this when she had met the Doctor. Martha ran off, still on her radiophone. Donna started to speak.

"Is that what you did to her? Turned her into a solider?"

And then Rose understood what had happened. She couldn't help it, she stepped to defend the Doctor.

"No, Donna", she said, sensing how little the Doctor liked all of this. "This isn't the Doctor's fault. It's -", she cut off when she realised what she was about to say. Her eyes widened, and it felt like she had something stuck in her throat. It wasn't like she hadn't known. She had, deep down she had always known that the Master wasn't a good man. No matter how he acted with her – it was how he acted towards others that really mattered. He hadn't been good to the world, he hadn't been good to Martha and he hadn't been good to the Doctor. And right then, quite suddenly, she understood. The reason why the Doctor never talked about the Master wasn't that he had loved her. It wasn't even because she had loved him. It was because of what he had done to those the Doctor loved. The Master had hurt them, every single one of them except for her, and even if it hadn't really happened to most of them, he still remembered it. She still remembered it, and by taking the Master's ring out all the time she only reminded the Doctor of all the bad things he had done during all the decades he had known him. The TARDIS had wanted to remind her of it by locking her inside her old prison cell. She had wiped the pictures from the walls to let her know that the Master hadn't given her the painted walls but white ones. And she had probably also dragged those memories to the forefront of her mind just to remind her how cruel the Master had really been. And she just hadn't got the hint. She looked at the Doctor to say something, to say sorry, but he avoided her and rushed to Martha.

"And you're qualified now? You're a proper doctor", he said.

"UNIT rushed it through given my experience in the field", she answered. "We're establishing a field base on site. They're dying to meet you."

"Wish that I could say the same", the Doctor mumbled. They entered the movable office. Rose looked around. There were lots of computers and soldiers, and she knew exactly how much the Doctor wanted to leave. Martha went to a middle-aged man wearing a uniform. He looked at Martha, waiting for a report, which he got.

"Operation Blue Sky complete, sir", Martha said. "Thanks for letting me take the lead", she turned to the Doctor. "And this is the Doctor. Doctor, Colonel Mace."

Colonel Mace saluted.

"Sir!"

"Oh, don't salute", the Doctor said like he was bored by people saluting him. Rose glanced at Donna, who was looking around in awe.

"Well, it's an honour, sir", Mace explained, confused. "I've read all the files on you and, technically speaking, you're still on staff. You never resigned. "

"What, you used to work for them?" Donna said, head snapping to the Doctor.

"Yeah, long time ago. Back in the 70s. Or was it the 80s? But it was all a bit more homespun back then", he mused, looking around with a slightly disappointed expression on his face.

"Times have changed, sir", Mace said.

"Yeah, that's enough of the 'sir'."

"Come on now Doctor, you've seen it", Martha said warmly. "You've been on board the Valiant. We've got massive funding from the United Nations. All in the name of home world security."

"Which you do with guns", Rose said quietly, earning a frown from Martha and not even a look from the Doctor.

"A modern UNIT for a modern world", Mace said, skipping the fact that Rose had spoken. It irritated her and she crossed her arms.

"What, and that means arresting ordinary factory workers?" Donna said. "In the streets, in broad daylight? Rose is right, it's more like Guantanamo Bay out there! Donna, by the way. Donna Noble, since you didn't ask. I'll have a salute."

Mace looked like Donna had hit him. He looked at the Doctor, who gave him a little nod. He raised his hand to his forehead.

"Ma'am."

"Thank you", Donna said. "Now you could say sorry to Rose for ignoring her."

"Donna, it's okay", Rose mumbled.

"Tell me, what's going on in that factory?" the Doctor said before Mace could react to Donna's words. Mace cleared his throat and turned to a computer to show something to the Doctor.

"Yesterday, fifty-two people died in identical circumstances, right across the world, in eleven different time zones. 5 a.m. in the UK, 6 a.m. in France, 8 a.m. in Moscow, 1 p.m. in China."

Rose was about to ask when the Doctor gave the answer.

"You mean they died simultaneously?"

"Exactly. Fifty-two deaths at the exact same moment, worldwide."

Well, that did sound ominous.

"How did they die?" Rose asked and finally, for the first time, Mace turned to look at her.  
"They were all inside their cars", he answered.

"They were poisoned", Martha added. "I checked the biopsies, no toxins. Whatever it is left the system immediately."

"What have the cars got in common?" the Doctor asked. Rose started to feel really uncomfortable with him ignoring her. She wanted to kick him just so he would give her at least a look.

"Hey, I'm gonna... I need some fresh air", she said, mostly to Donna, and without even waiting for the answer she left, ran down the stairs and out from the building. Tears of frustration and anger started to pour down her cheeks. She had no idea what was going on. Everything had been just fine last night and then... it couldn't be just because of the ring, could it? She sat on a step and buried her face in her hands, breathing steadily in and out. It would be fine. Everything would be just fine. But it didn't feel like that. Every single memory she had about the Master, all the shared moments with him she had cherished, were crushed, ruined. The pain and the sorrow and the horrible, strangling self-blame she hadn't known she had. All her thoughts whirled and circled and all of them had something to do with the Master. Now that she was thinking about him, it hurt. She picked up the ring and looked at it. The dangerous game of 'what if' started again. She shook her head.

"Stop it", she ordered herself out loud, hoping it would help. She let the ring drop and it burned against her neck. Suddenly she felt guilty about everything that had happened during the year that never was. If she had... but she hadn't. And all those people died. And Martha had turned into a soldier. And it was the Master's fault and it was killing her. Tears burnt in her eyes and she closed them tightly, swallowed the lump in her throat, but it only grew. She pressed the heels of her hands against her closed eyes.

"Stop it", she said again more loudly.

#####

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, but suddenly she heard familiar footsteps approaching.

"You are not coming with me!" Doctor's voice carried over to her. "I want to talk to this Luke Rattigan, not point a gun at him."

She stood quickly and wiped her face, looking at the two men walking towards her.

"It's ten miles outside London. How are you going to get there?" Mace asked.

"Well, then get me a jeep!" the Doctor argued. Then he noticed her. He looked at her worriedly, opened his mouth to say something, but Mace started to talk.

"According to the records you travel by TARDIS", he pointed out. Rose sighed and sat back down.

"Yes, but if there is a danger of hostile aliens, I think it's best to keep a super-duper time machine away from the front lines", the Doctor said quickly.

"I see", Mace said drily. "So you do have weapons but choose to keep them hidden. Jenkins!"

Rose jumped at his yell and looked up as a young solider came up and saluted Mace.

"Sir!"

"You will accompany the Doctor and take orders from him", Mace said.

"I don't do orders", the Doctor said.

"Where're we off to?" Rose asked. Even if the Doctor was ignoring her, there was something he couldn't avoid, and that was an honest, straight question.

"I'm going to see Luke Rattigan, the man who invented the ATMOS-system", he said, not really looking at her.

"Okay", Rose said, wondering why he had used the word 'I' instead of 'we'.

"You should go and help Martha. I'm sure she'd appreciate a hand."

"What?" she said. So now the Doctor didn't want her to come with him? That felt even worse than she had expected.

"Besides, there's room only for three in that jeep and if Donna's coming with me..."

He left the rest of the sentence hanging in the air. She could've asked why Donna couldn't go with Martha but she didn't. She only shrugged and, without saying another word, left to find Martha.

#####

She found Martha when she was coming out of an office, looking pale and worried.

"Hey", she said. "What's wrong?"

"Those workers", she answered. "They're acting really weird. Like... like robots."

"Are they robots?" Rose asked. Martha shook her head.

"I wish they were. It's something worse. Like someone's messing with their brains."

Rose grimaced and shook the horrible feeling off.

"Better to find out about that then, yeah?"

Martha nodded and smiled a bit.

"Why didn't you go with the Doctor?"

"He... I thought you might need a hand. And he's got Donna. They can work it out together."

Martha nodded but didn't look at Rose. She had a feeling that there was something else she wanted to say. And she wasn't wrong.

"So, how are things with you and the Doctor?"

She had feared that Martha might ask that. Not only because she was a friend of his but also because of the long looks she had given the two of them.

"Fine, getting to know each other again", she said. "You know, after having been separated for five years... for me at least."

She smiled at Martha who looked a bit suspicious.

"He seems a bit stiff and snappy", she pointed out.

"Yeah, well, there's a faceless alien threat and he doesn't know what they want. Of course he's stiff and snappy."

"No, that's not what I meant."

"Why are we talking about me and the Doctor anyway? Tell me about this Tom Milligan. Who is he? How did you two meet?"

A smile lit up Martha's face. It immediately made everything easier for Rose. If Martha looked like that while thinking of her fiancé, she couldn't have those kinds of feelings towards the Doctor anymore.

"I met him during the year that never was. I guess that's how we refer to it now. He helped me and stood against the Master. He got killed. The Master shot him down."

Rose felt a cold shiver run through her when she heard the despiteful manner Martha said the Master's name, and how, once again, someone proved to her how wrong she had been about him.

"He, on the other hand, met me while he was giving a lecture in my hospital. Just before I got the call from UNIT."

"Does he know how you got the job?" Rose asked.

"You mean does he know about the Doctor?" Martha said and smiled sadly. "No. I don't know how to tell him. I mean, if someone would've come to you before you met the Doctor and told you that you're about to travel through time and space with an alien in a blue box that is bigger on the inside, would you have believed him?"

Rose laughed.

"Probably not."

They fell silent for a while and Martha led them to a corridor in the basement.

"I just don't know how to tell him, that's all", she said.

"Won't it get harder the longer you wait?" Rose more said than asked. Martha didn't answer, only nodded. "I'm sure he'll understand", she said. "I mean, if he did when you met him in the year that never was..."

"Yeah."

They reached the door guarded by two UNIT-men.

"Doctor Jones, there's something you need to see", the other one said.

"What is it? Have you found something?" Martha asked. Neither of the men answered, but they opened the door behind them. When Rose was about to follow Martha, she found herself looking down the barrels of two guns. She raised her hands automatically.

"Woah, easy there", she said. "I'm not going to steal anything. Or break. Besides, I'm with Doctor Jones. Assisting her. Very important. And I'm sounding just like the Doctor, aren't I?"

Martha laughed softly.

"Kinda", she said. "It's fine", she added to the guards. "She's safe."

"Name?" the other guard asked.

"Rose Tyler."

The guards looked at each other, then nodded and let her through. Rose wondered what it was that made them change their minds. She looked around. The room was almost empty, but in the middle of it was a pool filled with greenish, bubbling liquid. Rose felt goosebumps crawling up her spine, this wasn't a good thing, but before she could say a word, she felt something prick her neck.

"Martha! Look out -!"

But she didn't even get to the end before a drowning, thick blackness took her over.

#####

Someone was screaming in horrible pain. The scream carried through a link, like Hayl's scream had. She tried to move, but her muscles were too heavy. That someone screamed again, but it was not exactly a voice. She wasn't sure where the scream came from, or why, or how she could help them when she couldn't move or think. Everything seemed to be so far away. She wanted to sleep. Why weren't they quiet so that she could sleep? Where was the Doctor? She needed him. She needed...


	13. The Doctor's Bad Day

**A/N:** Hello readers and thank you **TheDoctorMulder** for your faithful comments! I would love to hear what all of you think so please leave me a note :)

Here's the next chapter and The Poison Sky! Thank you once again **anna1991** , my wonderful, amazing beta!

 **Disclaimer:** I still don't own Doctor Who...

 **The Doctor's Bad Day**

This was definitely not the day the Doctor had planned it to be. It had been going downhill right from the beginning; well, figuratively speaking, of course, because really, there was neither a beginning nor an end to any day on the TARDIS. Or actually, it had started earlier, he didn't know exactly when, but it had been sometime after the moment Rose had asked him what the Gallifreyan on the ring said. And it didn't really matter when it had started because the thing was that it was going very very wrong in every possible way. He couldn't say there was anything wrong with asking about the ring, but, if he was honest with himself – and he tried to be, at least sometimes – it hurt. He had hoped that Rose could move on, like he had, but he had forgotten one tiny little detail. Rose was human. Or mostly, at least, well, partly, well, half of her was human, well, he couldn't really tell how much of her was human or if any of her was human because there wasn't an atom in her that was completely and purely human. Where was he? Oh yes, moving on. Humans, he knew, weren't masters of moving on. And, the truth was, it hadn't been that long since the Master died. It hadn't been a long time since he had first said he loved her. There had been only few weeks of simply beautiful and perfect life together. Maybe that was the problem, maybe Rose had realised that, during that time, he wasn't what she really wanted but the Master was. After all, she was the one who had asked to be friends again.

Then, as if his day hadn't gone down the drain already, Martha had called, and she was so different, she was a solider now, even though he had recommended her to Unit as a doctor and everything she said about making a difference didn't really change the fact that she was now leading operations to capture aliens. But still she was good old Martha and that meant she wanted to know what was going on in his life, how his life was, if all was good between Rose and him as it didn't seem to be good and he lied because he didn't want to admit that things were far from good with Rose. And Rose! Rose was acting so distant and he tried to think that maybe she needed some space and she didn't even look at him and ran away as soon as the situation allowed for it and then he found her sitting on the stairs. She had been crying and he immediately thought it was because of him, he had said something to hurt her. She probably wanted him to leave her alone, so he gave her an out, an opportunity to go with Martha, and she did and he let her.

And as if that wasn't enough, he found out that the young, impressive little brat was building stuff to live on another planet, and he wasn't working with some peaceful, lovely aliens, oh no, he was working with Sontarans! And Sontarans, they were trying to suffocate the whole Earth with their little genius ATMOS thingies!

After he had managed to unlock the ATMOS and lock Wilf inside the car and get shouted at by Donna and Sylvia, who would have slapped him if he had been close enough, he was ready to go into the TARDIS and run away for few weeks and come back after cooling his temper. And he needed to talk to Rose. He couldn't avoid it forever, even if he wanted to. He needed to talk to her as soon as possible so he could put at least one of his worries aside. Where was Rose? The car pulled over and the Doctor jumped out, followed by Donna. The air was horrible; there was Sontaran smoke everywhere.

"Ross, look after yourself, get inside the building" he said to Ross. Nice young chap he was.

"Will do", he answered and left, talking into his radiophone. Now, where was Rose?

"The air is disgusting!" Donna said. The Doctor, who was more worried about Rose than anything else right now, turned to her.

"It's not so bad for me", he said. "Go on, get inside the TARDIS", he paused, realising something, and started to smile. "Oh, never given you a key!" he pulled it out from his pocket. "Keep that! Go on, that's yours! Quite a big moment really!"

He felt proud for a moment. He remembered all those companions and friends to whom he had given the key during the years. Donna didn't even smile. She coughed.

"Yeah, maybe we can get sentimental after the world's finished choking to death!" she said. He nodded.

"Good idea!" he said and turned around, running.

"Where are you going?" Donna shouted after him.

"To find Rose!" he shouted back. "And stop the war!" he added, like it had nothing to do with the whole thing.

#####

He found Rose in the moving office. She just stood there, her arms crossed, looking around.

"There you are! I've been searching all over for y-ou", he stopped. Something was wrong. No, more like everything was wrong. This wasn't Rose. This wasn't Rose at all. He'd recognize his Rose anywhere. And although this woman might look like her, she definitely was not her. Her hair was a bit too close to her old blond colour, her eyes were too small, there was this strange smell around her and, most importantly, her smile was all wrong. A clone. He felt chills running down his spine. They had made a clone of his Rose. Bloody Sontarans, they would end up so dead because of that.

"I was with Martha", the all-wrong-Rose said, shrugging. "You knew that."

"Yeah, yeah", the Doctor sniffed, trying to act like he hadn't noticed, and thinking, hoping, that for keeping this clone alive, they needed the real Rose to be alive as well. "Where's Martha?" he asked, suddenly realising that either she knew about Rose being a clone, was dead or was a clone as well.

"Over there", Rose-the-clone said, nodding towards Martha. "They're ready to launch."

"What?" he half shouted, half snapped and, reflexively, took Rose's hand to pull her with him. It felt all wrong, especially as this Rose didn't have the telepathic link. He growled. If they had done anything to hurt her...

"Right then", he announced when he met Mace. "Here I am, good. Whatever you do, Colonel Mace, do not engage the Sontarans in battle, there is nothing they like better than a war. Just leave this to me."

He marched past him towards Martha.

"And what are you going to do?" Mace asked doubtfully. Right now he didn't like him being doubtful. Right now he didn't like anything at all.

"I've got the TARDIS", he answered, clenching his teeth to keep his temper down. "I'm gonna get on board their ship", he took a look at Martha and confirmed that she, as well, was a clone. Damn those Sontarans!

"Come on", he said to both girls and headed towards the TARDIS.

#####

The problem was that the TARDIS wasn't there anymore. Oh no. Oh no no no no. Donna. Why had he sent her to the TARDIS? What had he done to deserve this kind of a day? He needed Rose. When had he become this helpless? He knew the answer but didn't want to think about it in case he lost would lose her.

"But... where's the TARDIS?" Martha asked and the Doctor knew that she knew, and it didn't make him happy at all.

"Taste that, in the air", he answered, looking at Rose, who, if she weren't a clone, would've tasted it. She didn't. She just stared at him her eyes wide and scared. It made him even more angry. They hadn't even got that one right! "That sort of metal tang", he continued, turning to Martha. "Teleport exchange. It's the Sontarans, they've taken it. I'm stuck on Earth like... like an ordinary person", the realisation hit him. "Like a human! How rubbish is that!" he paused, waiting for Rose's 'oi', which didn't come. "Sorry, no offence, but come on!"

"So what do we do?" clone-of-Martha and not-air-tasting-Rose asked in union.

"Well..." he began, thinking of Donna. "I mean, it's shielded, they could never detect it."

He looked from one clone to another. They had done this. They had told them where to find the TARDIS. He hated them for it. It was awful to hate someone who looked like someone he really loved. Awful and extremely confusing.

"What?" Rose-he-couldn't-stand said. She smiled at him and he swallowed. Oh, that was why they had taken Rose as well. Oh, they were clever. But not clever enough for him.

"I'm just wondering..." he began, looking at Martha-with-different-irises. "Have you phoned your family and Tom?"

"No, what for?"

Emotions, that was their biggest mistake. They could put all the memories into them, but if they didn't have emotions, the memories were useless.

"The gas. Tell them to stay inside", the Doctor said. Not-the-real-Martha breathed out something between a sigh and a laugh.

"Of course I will!"

"Where's Donna?" Rose-who-spoke-much-too-little asked.

"Oh, she's gone home. She's not like Martha, she's not a soldier."

"I'm not a soldier", all-things-wrong-Rose pointed out.

"I am not letting you out of my sight", he said firmly and meant it. "Right, so, avanti!"

#####

The day was getting even worse. He now had to worry not only about the situation on Earth and those bloody Sontarans and his relationship with Rose but also about both Rose and Martha being clones and Donna being trapped into a Sontaran ship and Mace being about to start a war with an alien race that loved making war and was likely to win. Ross was dead, the poor chap, he was a brilliant chap, and for once it wasn't his fault but Mace's, but Ross' death didn't seem to bother the Colonel. Bastard. The Doctor had a plan, a brilliant plan actually, even if he said it himself, and he was a lucky man as he came up with new plans quickly and while he went on. So he made the Sontarans move the TARDIS into another location, got the clone-Rose-who-stank-bad away for a moment and made an important call. Thankfully he carried the phone with him. He gave Donna instructions and, hoping for the best, left the room only to find out that Colonel Mace was still planning to attack.

"I said you don't stand a chance!" he shouted. Mace didn't even look at him. And just a moment ago he had been honoured by meeting him. Humans.

"Positions", Mace kept going. "That means everyone!"

Then he threw a gasmask to the Doctor. Rose-without-the-telepathically-link was there immediately. Informing him she wouldn't let him go without her. She took his hand and he fought against the urge to pull his hand away in disgust.

"Wouldn't dream of it", he said, and they followed colonel Mace out. The air was horrible, thick with grey gas, and everyone was wearing a gasmask. The Doctor put his on just because it looked funny. Colonel Mace showed him their guns.

"Latest firing stock, what do you think, Doctor?" he asked. He thought it was wrong and stupid and they were never gonna make it. But he had said that already and it made no change. So he said the first thing that came into his mind.

"Are you my mummy?"

Rose, the real Rose, his beautiful, wonderful, brilliant Rose, would have laughed.

"If you could concentrate", Mace said, sounding angry. "Bullets with a rad-steel coating, no copper surface. Should overcome the Cordolaine signal."

The Doctor took his gasmask off, simply because speaking with it on was strange and there was a lack of facial impressions, which were important. He liked facial impressions.

"But the Sontarans have got lasers!" he argued, trying one more time to get Mace to understand what was going on, what they up against. "You can't even see in this fog, the night-vision doesn't work!"

"Thank you Doctor, thank you for your lack of faith. But this time, I'm not listening."

Lack of faith? He'd show him lack of faith. This wasn't lack of faith, this was realism, this was sense, this was -

"Doctor? What're we gonna do?" the-Rose-who-didn't-smell-sweet-at-all asked. He didn't answer but looked the Colonel giving orders to his men. A load whirr of engines made everyone look up. The gas was getting clearer around them as a gigantic ship was blowing it away.

"It's the Valiant!" the Doctor said, almost happily, and threw a glance at Rose-who-tried-to-be-Rose-but-failed. Emotions, there were none. She had spent a year on that ship, just like him, and she, the real her, wasn't as good at hiding her pain as he was, and the Valiant surely woke up some hidden, dormant emotions he hadn't missed. Maybe it was good that Rose wasn't really here.

"UNIT Carrier Ship Valiant reporting for duty, Doctor!" Mace said, and he definitely thought he had made an impression on him. "With engines strong enough to clear away the fog."

Well, if he was being honest, it was kind of impressive.

"Woah, that's brilliant!" he couldn't help saying.

"Getting a taste for it, Doctor?"

Taste for what? War? Fighting?

"No, not at all. Not me", he said. He looked again at not-Rose. She gave him a completely wrong smile that was meant to distract him. It kind of worked because he felt anger stinging him again. Where was his Rose?

"Valiant, fire at will!" Mace informed. There came lots of green laser beams and the Valiant started to fire at the factory, soldiers attacking at the same time. The Sontarans were losing. The Doctor was horrified. Was Rose in the factory somewhere? Was she in danger of getting shot as well? He rushed away, not minding Mace who was shouting after him. He held the phone to his ear.

"Donna, hold on. I'm coming."

He had forgotten the clone-Rose, who followed close by.

"Doctor?" she said. He turned to look at her and she smiled, really not the place and time for a smile like that, but well, she wasn't the Rose she should be. Then, quite suddenly and surprisingly, to him at least, she kissed him. He pulled away quickly and took a hold of her hands that were on their way to his neck.

"What are you doing?" he asked, rather harshly.

"I... I..." she paused, her pupils dilated and she gasped, and even though she was completely-wrong-Rose, he didn't like to hear that kind of gasp from her lips. He frowned but didn't have time to say anything when Martha-the-clone appeared.

"Shouldn't we stay with the Colonel?" she asked.

"Nah", he said. "You, Rose and me, Martha Jones. Just like old times! Or not, as we are not any old times. New times, then. Come on!" he lead them downstairs. "Alien technology, this way!"

He sonicked the area, holding the screwdriver like a gun. It was great fun, actually, to play an agent with a sonic screwdriver. Something his real Rose would have understood perfectly. Or at least pretended to understand. That was why he loved her. She was so brilliant, his Rose.

"No Sontarans down here", he informed. "They can't resist a battle. Here we go."

He almost kicked the door open to the lab, saw the pool and the real girls in some short of sleep, laying on hospital beds, wearing hospital clothes.

"Rose! Oh Rose, I'm so sorry", he bend over the unconscious Rose, who was wired to some machine. Martha, in the same state, was next to her. He took Rose's cold hand into his, tried to contact her, feeling her really faint consciousness that seemed to be under a lot of pressure. He poked her gently and, right at that moment, Rose-the-clone cried out loudly, holding her head. It was short and obviously painful but she lowered her hands and looked scared. He turned to check out Martha, not letting go of Rose's hand, when he heard the click of a gun. He looked behind him, casually. Martha-copy was pointing a handgun at him.

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" he asked, turning back to the girls.

"Wish you carried a gun now?" the copy-Martha said.

"Not at all", he said drily.

"I've been stopping the nuclear launch all this time", Martha-the-smellycat said proudly.

"Doing exactly what I wanted", the Doctor said simply. It was true; he was very happy that this Sontaran-made Martha was doing what he needed her to do. But, just to be clear and to show how brilliant he was, he had to say it out loud. "I needed to stop the missiles, just as much as the Sontarans. I'm not having Earth start an interstellar war. You're a triple agent!" he glanced at the Rose-who-was-awfully-quiet-and-almost-ashamed. "And you tried your best to distract me with your... your lips and your hips and..."

"When did you know?" too-thin-haired-Martha asked.

"What, you two? Oh, right from the start", he said, finding out how the machine was working and that he could pull it off without harming them. "Martha because of the reduced iris contraction and slight thinning of the hair follicles on the left temple. Rose because of everything. You really think I wouldn't recognize my one and only Rose? And, frankly, you smell. You might as well have worn a T-shirt saying 'clone'. Although, maybe not in front of Captain Jack", he noticed very-much-wrongness-in-her-Rose wincing. "You remember him, don't you?" he asked her. "'Cos you've got all her memories. That's why the Sontarans had to protect them, to keep you inside UNIT. Martha Jones and Rose Tyler are keeping you alive."

With that, he pulled off the device from first Martha's and then Rose's head. Martha woke up with a scream, Rose with a loud gasp. At the same time both of the clones collapsed, crying out loudly. Martha's crawled away but Rose's was already dead. The Doctor kicked away the gun that had dropped to the ground. He turned back to the girls, hugging both of them with one arm.

"It's all right. It's all right, I'm here, I'm here. I've got you, got you..." he said soothingly.

"There was this thing, Doctor, this alien, with this head..." Martha began. Rose didn't say a word. She was staring at the clones on the floor. The Doctor's phone rang and he let go of the girls.

"Oh, blimey, I'm busy", he said, answering it. "Got it?"

Donna's shaky voice came from the phone.

"Yes. Now hurry up!"

The Doctor rushed to the teleport machine, looking it over.

"Take off the covering", he told her. "All the blue switches inside, flick them up like a fuse box. And that should get the teleport working."

At the other side of the room, Martha had kneeled down to talk with her clone, but Rose still hadn't moved. Was there something wrong with her? There really was no time for something to be wrong with her. Martha told her clone about her family.

"The gas! Tell us about the gas!" the Doctor said, still trying to work the teleport machine out. Why was everything happening at the same time?

"He's the enemy!" the clone said.

"Then tell me", Martha said calmly, and the Doctor remembered exactly why he had picked her up. "It's not just poison, what's it for? Martha, please!"

There was a pause.

"Caesofine concentrate. It's one part of Bosteen, two parts Probic 5."

"Clone feed! It's clone feed!" the Doctor exclaimed. Then he realised how very bad that was. The worst thing ever with not just one but two suitcases of bad.

"What's clone feed?" Martha asked.

"Like amniotic fluid for Sontarans", he answered. "That's why they're not invading, they're converting the atmosphere. Changing the planet into a clone world. Earth becomes a great big hatchery. 'Cos the Sontarans are clones, that's how they reproduce. Give them a planet this big, they'll create billions of new soldiers. That gas isn't poison, it's food!"

"Doctor", came Donna's voice from the phone. "Blue switches done", a pause that lasted less than a second. "But they've found me!"

"Now!" the Doctor shouted, pointing the sonic screwdriver at the pod. Donna appeared inside the machine, took a couple of shaky steps and ran to hug the Doctor.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate you?" she said.

"Hold on, hold on. Get off me, get off me! Gotta bring the TARDIS down."

After that he rushed to Rose, who looked puzzled and haunted, bending in front of her and touching her cheek lightly.

"Rose?"

"I heard her", she said with a shaky voice. "In my head. I heard her. She was screaming."

"Heard who?" the Doctor asked, confused. Rose blinked tears from her eyes.

"The clone. I heard her the whole time. She was in pain. Her brain was screaming."

He didn't know what to say.

"Let's talk about that later, yeah? We have to do something first. Come on."

He jumped up, pulling the still shaky Rose with him, and dashed to the teleport machine.

"Right, now. Martha, you coming?" he asked.

"What about this nuclear launch thing?" Martha asked, holding the phone.

"Just keep pressing N, we want to keep those missiles on the ground."

There was a short pause when the Doctor gave Martha shivering Martha his coat and Rose his jacket, changed settings to the machine and Donna noticed the clones.

"But there's... two of them..." she began.

"Yeah, long story", the Doctor said. Everyone got inside the teleport machine after him. "Here we go!"

"We're not going back on that ship!" Donna said, looking horrified after she realised where she was standing.

"No, no, no, no. I needed to get the teleport working so that we could get to..." he said, pushing the button and teleporting them. "...here! The Rattigan Academy, owned by..."

A young, selfish, spoiled brat who almost got the whole civilisation of Earth killed and was right now pointing a gun at them. This just wasn't his day.

"Don't tell anyone what I did!" Luke said, gun hand shaking. "It wasn't my fault, the Sontarans lied to me, they..."

The Doctor took two long leaps and grabbed the gun from Luke's hand.

 **"** If I see one more gun..." he growled, throwing the gun away. He rushed to the laboratory, followed by Rose.

"Doctor", she said, and wasn't it good to hear her saying his name!

"Yeah?"

"What happened? Why did I hear her? Why was she screaming?"

He grabbed a few items from the lab, giving one of them to Rose, and starting to build up a machine that would work with his plan.

"I don't know for sure, but I guess that the machine couldn't use your mind properly because of the Bad Wolf. Trying to get access to your mind when you don't want it causes pain, like we saw with the Master", he paused. "Well, that actually explains why she was so quiet. I thought they had missed everything about you, but she just couldn't work properly with that pain."

"It was awful", Rose said silently.

"I'm sorry", the Doctor said sincerely. She gave him a weak smile, and it was the best thing that had happened in the whole day. He turned back to his device.

"Caesofine gas is volatile", he told to everyone and probably no one as no one ever listened to his science talk. "That's why they had to use you to stop the nuclear attack. Ground-to-air engagement could've sparked off the whole thing."

"What, like set fire to the atmosphere?" Martha asked worriedly. He saw a sparkle in Rose's eye and knew she had listened to him and knew what he was planning.

"Yeah. They need all the gas intact to breed their clone army. And all the time we had Luke here in his dream factory. Planning a little trip, were we?" he asked Luke, who looked pale and sick.

"They promised me a new world", he said plainly.

"You were building equipment, ready to terraform El Mondo Luko so that humans could live there and breathe the air with this! An atmospheric converter", he babbled, taking the device in his lap and running outside to the yard with it. Everyone followed him. There was a thick wall of gas in the distance.

"Oh my god", Rose said. "Is that London?"

"I can't even see it", Donna said. "My family is there"

"If I can get this on the right setting..." the Doctor mumbled to himself.

"Doctor, hold on, you said the atmosphere would ignite", Martha said. Now she was getting it as well. Oh, how brilliant they all were!

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" he grinned and Rose gave half a laugh, best sound in the world. And with the strength he got from that, he pressed the button and shot the device into the sky.

"Please, please, please, please, please, please, please..." he muttered, crossing his fingers. And then, thankfully, luckily, wonderfully, brilliantly and all the other words that he couldn't think of right then, the sky flamed up. He heard Rose gasp and wondered if it was caused by surprise, joy or just the plain beauty of the few seconds of the burning sky. When the flame died, the sky was clear blue.

"He's genius!" the Doctor heard Luke say.

"Just brilliant!" added Martha. But it wasn't over yet. In fact, the situation was worse now. And there was only one thing he could do.

"Now we're in trouble", he said, grabbed the device and ran inside the mansion. He stopped and turned to face the three people who had followed him.

"Right, so", he began and tried very hard not to show his fear. "Donna, thank you. For everything", he turned to Martha. "Martha, you too. Oh, so many times. Luke", he said. "Do something clever with your life", he paused, turning to Rose, who had paled. "Rose."

"No", she said, shaking her head viciously. "Don't you dare."

"There's nothing else I can do."

"Put it on delay or something!" Rose demanded loudly.

"I can't", he said desperately. He stepped inside the teleport machine and looked at Rose.

"I'm sorry", he said. "Rose... I really am."

"Don't you dare go there and blow yourself up!" she shouted, a glimpse of gold shining in her eyes.

"I got to give them a chance", the Doctor said, not looking at Rose. Looking at Rose was too painful.

"And then blow yourself up? We both know they're not gonna change their minds!"

He looked dark and desperate.

"What does it matter anyway?" he said harshly. He regretted the words and the tone in which he said them almost instantly. He wished Rose would try to stop him one more time. Just one more time and he'd probably do whatever she asked him to do. Her brown eyes were full of emotions and he wanted nothing as badly as to touch her so he could feel what she was feeling. She opened her mouth, but suddenly he didn't want to hear what she was about to say. She would lie anyway. So he pushed the button.

#####

"Doctor!" Rose shouted as he disappeared with a blue flash. She turned to Luke who looked shocked.

"He didn't..." Donna said. "He didn't!"

Martha didn't say a word, just stared at something in front of her, still wearing the Doctor's coat. Rose went to the machine, ready to follow the Doctor to his death, but Luke pushed her away.

"What are you doing?" Donna asked as he stepped in and turned to see them.

"Something clever", he said bluntly and pushed the button. He disappeared as the Doctor reappeared, astonished and shaky. He dropped to his knees and sat down. Martha went to him and was soon followed by Donna, who smacked him on the shoulder but hugged him anyway. The Doctor looked at Rose who stared back, not able to move or think. He finally stood up and went over to her.

"Rose", he began, but before he could say anything else, Rose slapped him in the face. He groaned in surprise and pain.

"Blimey, you hit like your moth -"

She slapped him again. He raised his hand to his reddened cheek and twisted his jaw.

"Okay. I guess I deserved that."

"Yes you did!" Rose yelled and was surprised how loud the words came from her mouth. "You can't just go and do something like that!"

"Well, I thought that we could discuss it later", he said, not really thinking.

"Later, huh? Like after I had collected your pieces from space?" Rose shouted. "There wasn't going to be any later, and you know it! You can't go on doing things like this! I have no one but you in this whole damn universe and you're about to... to..."

"Hold on", the Doctor said. "I wasn't going to leave you alone! You have the TARDIS, I'm sure she would've helped you with the ring to bring back the Master."

"But I don't want the Master, you stupid alien!" Rose screamed. "For some strange, unexplainable reason I want you even if you are too thick to realise it!"

Doctor's mouth opened and closed and he looked around like hoping that either Martha or Donna would offer him some help. They didn't. Martha was looking a bit unsettled and Donna seemed to be satisfied that they were speaking to each other at last. He turned back to Rose.

"I'm sorry", he said.

"You always say that", Rose answered. She wasn't shouting anymore. A powerless feeling took over and she wanted to cry. The Doctor stepped towars her and took a hold of her shoulders.

"Okay then. How about I love you?"

She began to cry. He never said that, not once since the day on the Titanic. He took a step to close the distance between them and hugged her tightly. At first she didn't do a thing to answer his embrace, but in the end her hands went to his back.

"I thought... I th-thought... since you never say it", she stuttered.

"I love you", he said firmly. She smiled through her sobs and buried her face into his jersey.

"I'm still mad at you", she said, just in case. She felt him smiling against her hair.

"I know."

#####

Martha went to Colonel Mace to give her report, and Donna went home to check her family was alright. Rose went to change. The dead clone had her clothes on and she was wearing just a hospital gown and the Doctor's jacket. After pulling on a pair of worn-out jeans, a top and a hoodie, she sat in front of the mirror. The Doctor knocked on the door.

"Come in", she said. He opened the door and she smiled at him through the mirror. "Would you help me with this?" she asked, touching the chain on her neck. She knew she could take it off without opening the lock, but somehow she thought it would be important for both of them to take it off together.

"Yeah, sure", he said. Rose moved her hair aside and felt his cool fingertips on her neck as he unlocked the chain and took it off. Without saying a word he laid it in Rose's open palm.

"Thank you", Rose said and dropped the chain to an open drawer, closed it and turned to face him.

"I think we should talk", he said suddenly. That surprised Rose.

"What did you say?" she asked. "Did you say we need to talk? You mean to _talk_? Isn't that too domestic for you? Don't you think it defines our _relationship_?" she did mean every word she said, but there was still more tease than taunt in her voice.

The Doctor blushed slightly and rubbed his neck.

"Yeah, well.. it does. But I was thinking that if I need to be in a relationship, I want to be in one with you."

"I don't know whether I should be flattered or offended."

He smiled at her and bent down to her eye level.

"I love you, Rose", he said. She smiled and gave him a quick kiss.

"I love you, too."

They heard the TARDIS door open. Rose stood up and they walked slowly out of the room. Half way to the console room the Doctor took her hand.

"All clear now, you don't need to fill out any papers", Martha informed when she saw them.

"Good, good", the Doctor said. Martha looked from him to Rose.

"You two okay?"

"Yeah", Rose said. "Takes time, you know... he's over nine hundred years old and acts like a three-year-old -"

"Hey!"

"- so it gets hard sometimes. But we'll get through it. Yeah?" she looked at the Doctor, who nodded.

"Definitely. Oh! I think that's gonna be the word to define us. Definitely. You're my definitely."

Rose lifted her eyebrow. Well, it could've been worse, and right now Rose was ready to take anything he offered.

"Guess that's better than your lucky pants", she grinned. The door opened again and Donna came in, looking a bit shaken, tears in her eyes.

"How were they?" Martha asked.

"Oh, same old stuff", Donna answered. "They're fine. So!" she changed the subject. "You gonna come with us? We're not exactly short of space."

Rose smiled at Martha, who looked unsure for a second. Then she shook her head slightly, smiling.

"Oh, I have missed all this", she admitted, looking around. "But, you know. I'm good here. Back at home. And I'm better for having been away. Besides", she waved her left hand, the ring sparkled. "Someone needs me. Never mind the universe, I've got a great big world of my own now!"

She left to the door, but it slammed closed and the TARDIS started to shake violently, and the engines started.

"Doctor!" Rose shouted, grabbing the coral to keep herself up. "What's going on?"

"What? What?" the Doctor shouted. That kind of answer didn't calm her down at all.

"Doctor, don't you dare!" Martha yelled, holding the console herself.

"No, no, no! I didn't touch anything! We're in flight, it's not me!" the Doctor defended himself.

"Where are we going?" Donna asked.

"I don't know, it's out of control!" the Doctor answered, sounding like he didn't know whether to be confused, worried or exited and had decided to be all of them.

"Doctor, just listen to me! You take me home, take me home right now!" Martha yelled angrily. Rose looked at the Doctor, who grinned at her. Rose answered his smile. Here we go again, she thought.


	14. The Touch

**A/N:** Hello readers! Here is the next chapter, and I hope you like it! Tell me if you do, or if you don't! I would love to hear what you think so I could make myself a better writer :)

Once again I want to thank my amazing beta **anna1991**!

 **Disclamier:** The usual.

 **The Touch**

The TARDIS was completely out of control. All four of them were hanging on the control panel, the Doctor trying everything he could to stop the TARDIS from rattling. Sparks were flying and the TARDIS shook violently, throwing Rose to the floor. She got a glimpse of the Doctor's hand in the jar and saw the liquid bubble much more than it usually did.

"What the hell's it doing?" Donna shouted.

"Controls aren't working!" the Doctor answered. "Rose! Are you okay?"

"What's going on with your hand?" she asked instead of giving him an answer.

"It's very excited about whatever is going on", the Doctor said, half worried, half exited.

"What! You telling me that's your hand? I thought it was just some freaky alien thing!" Donna yelled.

"It got chopped off", Rose said, pulling herself off the floor and thinking how absurd it was to discuss the Doctor's hand while the TARDIS was acting like this. "He grew another one."

"And I asked you about two heads!" Donna shouted over the rattle. "You are completely... impossible!"

"Not impossible, just... a bit unlikely!"

"A bit?" Rose asked.

That was when the TARDIS was shaken by the last explosion and everyone fell backwards, the Doctor hitting the jump seat. Silence fell. They looked at each other for a moment before the Doctor jumped up and ran towards the doors and outside. Rose pulled herself up and followed him. She stopped right in front of the door at the sight she saw. Wherever they were, it looked like a junkyard. They seemed to be underground and everywhere were bits and pieces of something or another and Rose had a terrible feeling that there was a reason for it and they wouldn't like it.

"Why would the TARDIS bring us here..." the Doctor muttered, looking at his ship. Rose walked a few steps forward, away from the TARDIS, and looked with curiosity at the only thing around here that seemed to be not broken. It was a machine of some kind.

"Oh, I love this bit", Martha's voice said.

"Thought you wanted to go home", Donna pointed out.

"I know, but all the same..."

Rose turned to look at the slow smile on Martha's face and knew exactly how she felt. Rose's eyes met the Doctor, who was licking his hand, looking like he hadn't heard anything the two women behind him said.

"It's that feeling you get..." said Martha, who didn't look at the Doctor. Yes, the feeling, Rose thought. The excitement, the strange, wonderful feeling of a different world, the wonder and joy and...

"Like you swallowed a hamster?" Donna offered. Well, that wasn't what Rose would've said, but it was good enough. Martha gave a little laugh. A loud noise carried through the tunnel and Rose whirled around to see what was causing it. Three soldiers were approaching them and Rose's worst nightmares came true. A war. They were in a warzone. She glanced at the Doctor who didn't look happy at all.

"Don't move!" a young soldier shouted, pointing his gun at them. Rose raised her hands in the air. "Stay where you are! Drop your weapons!"

"We're not armed!" the Doctor said loudly and calmly. "Look. No weapons. Never any weapons. We're safe."

One of the soldiers looked at them with curiosity.

"Look at their hands", he said. "They're clean."

He said it like it was a miracle and a good thing, but somehow Rose had a feeling that noth ing good would follow their clean hands.

"Alright, process them!" the first one, obviously the Captain, said. "Him first", he added, pointing at the Doctor.

Two other soldiers leaped forward, taking a hold of the Doctor and dragged him towards the machine Rose had seen earlier.

"Oi, oi! What's wrong with clean hands?" the Doctor snapped, trying to get rid of them. Rose stepped forward.

"Let go of him!" she said.

"Rose, it's okay, I think, don't get all wild", the Doctor said to her as his hand was forced into the machine. He cried out in pain and Rose jumped forward, being stopped by a soldier.

"Let go of me!" she snapped. "Let him go! What's he done to you?"

"Something tells me this isn't about to check my blood pressure", the Doctor said and cried out again. Rose felt her heart skip a beat, and the soldier keeping her still let go in surprise and shock as her eyes flashed gold for less than a second. A gunshot. A flash of blonde hair. She blinked and the image vanished.

"Let him go!" she yelled.

"Everyone gets processed", the captain said calmly, not even bothering to look at Rose.

"It's taking a tissue sample", the Doctor explained as the captain didn't. "It's o- Ow ow ow ow ow ow -kay. And extrapolated it! Some kind of accelerator?" he suggested. The machine let go of him and he stepped quickly backwards. Rose grabbed his hand that had been in the machine. There was a long but clean cut in his hand. It didn't look deep or bad.

"And I thought your hand was being cut off again", she said and pushed the hand away.

"It hurt!"

The machine, which had been whirring since the Doctor got free, turned off and the capsule opened.

"What on Earth?" the Doctor muttered. "That's just..."

Out of the machine stepped a girl. She didn't look older than Rose, had blonde hair and brown eyes and she looked around curiously.

"Arm yourself!" the Captain ordered, giving her a gun. She took like it was the most natural thing to do. Rose stared at her her wide-eyed. Surely she didn't... did she?  
"Where did she come from?" Martha asked.

"From me", the Doctor said, his voice shocked and quiet and Rose turned to look at him, hoping he would grin and laugh and tell them they were stupid apes to believe that. He didn't. She swallowed.

"From you?" Donna said. "How? Who is she?"

"Well..." the Doctor said and swallowed and looked from the girl to Rose and back. "She's... well... she's my daughter."

At that point the girl looked up at him, a fabulous grin came onto her face and she loaded her gun.

"Hello, Dad!"

At that moment Rose wasn't sure whether she should cry or laugh. She felt she needed to do both but was suddenly unable to make any kind of noise. What? she kept thinking. What? But it turned out she had no time to ask her question out loud as there was a loud shout and they were told to go hide. Soldiers that looked a bit like fish with legs and hands were running through the tunnel towards them.

"It's the Hath!"

The firing started.

"Stop!" Rose shouted and the Doctor grabbed her, pulling her into cover. "Let go of me! That girl is over there, that... that daughter of yours."

"Rose..."

"What?"

The tunnel started to collapse. She jumped to the side to avoid being hit when the ceiling collapsed entirely. For a moment she saw only black, then yellow, and she heard a gunshot of which she couldn't tell whether she had really heard it or imagined it.

#####

She sat up and looked around. There was a wall of debris that blocked the tunnel. The realisation hit her painfully.

"Doctor!" she cried out and rushed to the pile of rubble, trying to move it aside. "Doctor! Can you hear me? Are you there?"

"Hold on, I've got you", Martha said, and Rose turned to see who she was talking to. "Is it your arm, yeah?"

It was one of those fish people, Hath, wasn't it, and the small tank in the place of its mouth bubbled.

"Is that a yes?"

Rose turned back to the wall.

"Doctor!"

She panicked. What if he had got stuck under it? He would never survive that. She tried to pull away a piece of some pipe, but it didn't move an inch. "Doctor!"

"I don't think he can hear you", Martha said without even looking at her. "Half fish, half human. How am I supposed to know? Is that a shoulder?"

"Doctor!"

"Rose, please be quiet for a while so I can concentrate."

"So you don't care if he's under all of this junk, huh? What if he's dead? What if someone shot him?"

"Shouting isn't gonna help him with that, is it?"

"What if it was Tom in there?"

Martha bit her lips together.

"If the Doctor's hurt, there's nothing we can do for him from this side of the collapse. But there's a injured Hath over here, and he needs our help. So will you hold him down so I can put his shoulder back into place?" she said. While listening to her, Rose realised just how brilliant she really was. She sighed, Martha was right.

"Sorry", she said, kneeled down and took a held of the Hath. "This okay?"

Martha nodded and took a hold of the Hath's arm, but right then several Hath marched in, pointing their guns at them.

"I'm trying to help him!" Martha said loudly. "I am a doctor and he is my patient, and I'm not leaving him!"

Rose had to admit that she was pretty impressive.

"Now, this is gonna hurt", she warned, taking a hold of the Hath's arm again. "One, two, three!"

With a loud crack the shoulder snapped into place and the Hath raised their guns again. With bubbles the injured Hath explained something to his friends and they lowered their guns.

"Now, then. I'm Doctor Martha Jones", Martha said. "And this is Rose Tyler. Who the hell are you?"

#####

They followed the Hath to their base. It was obvious that they were fascinated by them. The nearest Hath came over to touch them like they would've wanted to know if they were real. Rose took out her phone and, wondering why she hadn't thought about it earlier, dialled the Doctor's number. She let it ring for a long time, but he didn't answer. Feeling horrible she put the phone back into her pocket.

"He's not answering", she said to Martha in a low voice.

"Maybe he has other things on his mind right now?"

She looked around gloomily and followed Martha to some kind of hologram that looked a bit like a map. She looked at it carefully. She had always been bad at reading maps.

"Right…" said Martha, who obviously wasn't. "So we're here?"

She pointed at something that looked like a hall. The Hath nodded. Suddenly the hologram turned and changed and got more tunnels on it. Rose sighed in relieve.

"It's him, it's the Doctor", she said to Martha as more Hath started to gather around them, celebrating and tapping Martha and Rose.

"It wasn't us", Rose said, laughing a bit as one of them tapped her cheek. Then, if bubbles could represent yelling and roaring, the Hath started to yell and roar, waving their guns in the air, and marched off.

"Oh no", Rose said. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I'm thinking that we just started a war."

"Yep. That's what I was thinking."

Her phone rang and she pulled it quickly out of her pocket.

"You should answer your phone when it rings!"

"How is that a way to pick up when I call you?"

"Shut up. Where are you?"

"I'm with Donna, we're fine. What about you?" there was a small pause and the Doctor sounded irritated. "Yes all right... and, and Jenny... that's the woman from the machine, the soldier... my daughter, except she isn't. She's, she's... anyway! Where are you?"

"What do you mean, she isn't? You're the one who used the word 'daughter' when she first came out of the machine!" Rose said, offended on behalf of the girl.

"Yes, right, but... now's not the time to argue about what she is and what she isn't."

"Yeah, because there's nothing to argue about!"

Martha grabbed the phone from Rose, ignoring her glare.

"Doctor, we're in the Hath camp. We're okay but something's going on. The Hath are all marching off to some place that's appeared on this map thing."

Rose tried to reach her phone but Martha turned around, raising her hand to silence her.

"What do you want us to do?" she asked. Then there came the determined, stubborn look Rose recognised from herself. "But we can help!" A pause, she looked at the phone and put it back to her ear again. "Doctor? Doctor!" she turned to Rose and gave the phone to her. "It cut off."

"What do we do?" Rose asked.

"Well, he wanted us to stay here, but I'm not gonna listen to him. And I guess that neither are you."

Rose grinned.

"Let's go then", she said.

#####

They couldn't leave right away because Martha wanted to know where they were going and how to get there. Rose, who had been ready to go and find the first corridor and look where it would take them, sat down and watched as Martha talked with the Hath she had been helping before. She was very confused. Not just because there had come a girl from a machine that the Doctor had said was his daughter but also because now he didn't seem to think she was his daughter. She couldn't say that she was all happy about this sudden change of their lives but she couldn't stand the idea that the Doctor refused to call Jenny his daughter. She had gone through that phase in the parallel universe when Pete had had difficulties with calling her his daughter because she wasn't _his_ daughter. And it had hurt even though there had been some truth in his words. To Pete she was someone who shared his genetic code but who hadn't come from him. Now Jenny was someone who obviously shared the Doctor's genetic code but hadn't exactly come from him, either. Rose was angry at him for not seeing the obvious. Jenny was his daughter and as weird it was she was ready to accept it. Why wasn't the Doctor? She tried to think about what it would be like if they had Jenny with them on the TARDIS. They would have a daughter. A grown daughter, but still a daughter. That would be... she felt a weird touch in her mind, it was light and she nearly missed it completely and it was gone as soon as it started. What was that?

"If we went up and over the surface in a straight line we'd get there first", Martha said. "What do you think, Rose?"

She turned to look at her.

"What?"

"Go over the surface?" Martha said.

"Oh. Yeah. Let's do that", Rose answered absent-mindedly, drifting back to her thoughts.

"Why not?" Martha said and Rose frowned lightly, hadn't she just said it was okay? But then she noticed Martha was talking with the Hath again. The Hath. Could it be the Hath? She focused on that feeling she had had and got an answer, a very light one but now she was sure she had felt something.

"As long as we're not out there too long..." Martha said. "Rose?"

"Yeah. Yeah. That's fine", she said.

"You okay?"

"Brilliant", she said, trying to make contact with that someone but failing. The connection was off or something. But whoever he was he was able to have contact her without touching. He. Why did she think it was a he? The Hath Martha was talking with was a he, right?

"Come on, then!" Martha said. "Rose, we are leaving!"

She stood.

"Right. Coming."

#####

"Martha", Rose said when they reached the nearest ladder to climb up to the surface. "Have you met the Hath before?"

"No", Martha said. "Why?"

"No reason", Rose said. She looked at the Hath who bubbled and gestured them to go before him. She felt it again, the touch, and she tried to take a hold of it but it slipped away and was gone again.

"Rose!" Martha said. She jumped and looked at Martha.

"Sorry."

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah. I'm always alright."

Martha raised her eyebrows and Rose realised what she had just said. She laughed.

"Sorry. I know how that sounds", she said smiling and laid her hand on Martha's arm. "I'm fine. Just worried."

"The Doctor can take care of himself", Martha smiled. They started to climb.

"I know. It's not the Doctor I'm worried about."

And that was true; she knew that the Doctor could make it on his own, but Jenny... if the Doctor was acting like that with her... she knew how much it could hurt. She just wished the Doctor would realise it as well and that Donna would keep an eye on him. And the other thing that worried her was that touch in her mind. It couldn't be the Doctor because she knew how he felt in her mind. So even if her telepathical abilities would have grown to be able to contact with him without a single touch, she'd know if it was him. But this... she felt it again and while the feeling stayed she got an idea. Her eyes went wide and she stopped climbing.

"Martha..." she began. "How bad is the radiation up there?"

"Not bad if we're quick."

"Okay", she said, thinking whether she should tell her what she was thinking but didn't. The Doctor had said that she had the TARDIS DNA in her and the TARDIS wouldn't die because of a tiny little bit of radiation, and nor would the Doctor, so why would... she shook her head. She was probably wrong, she couldn't be... right? They reached the hatch above them and Martha pushed it open, climbing out and giving Rose her hand to help her up. She stood and looked around. The planet they were on was completely deserted; there was nothing that lived, just black, dead ground. There were three moons in the sky, and a cold wind blew over them. Rose pulled her sleeves to cover her hands.

"Okay", she said. "Looks like there isn't much traffic here. Which way?"

Martha took the lead, followed by the Hath and Rose. It was really hard to walk up there, as the surface was rocky and had secret holes and big valleys here and there. The rocks rolled under their feet, and all of them had nearly fallen into sludge-filled holes several times before Martha really did.

"Martha!" Rose cried out, half running, half sliding down the hill towards Martha, who was standing in the bog that was sucking her in quite fast.

"Help me! I'm sinking! Help me!" she shouted, panicked and horrified.

"Give me your hand!"

Martha tried to reach for her, but her hand was just two inches too far away. There was no other way, Rose jumped into the disgusting mud and pushed Martha back to solid ground. The suction was strong and Rose felt her panic grow. What if she couldn't make it out herself? Martha turned to her, reaching out her hand.

"Come on!" she shouted. "If you drown, how am I ever going to face the Doctor?"

Rose closed her eyes and focused to move one leg at the time, but nothing happened. She couldn't move. The bog reached up to her chest. She gasped, her heart was racing, it was hard to breath. A golden glow wrapped around her, she felt the mud give away as she walked out of it and fell onto the hard shore. A gunshot echoed and the Doctor yelled. She started coughing and felt Martha's hand on her back.

"Are you okay?" she asked over and over again.

"Did somebody shoot?" she asked, eyes still closed.

"No?"

"Yeah. That's what I was afraid of."


	15. Mother to Be

**Mother to Be**

The freezing cold weather was only enhanced by the water and mud that drenched Rose's clothing. She and Martha walked as fast as they could towards something that resembled a building. Rose noticed a door and she rushed towards it, pulling out her sonic pen and unlocking the door. The warmth inside was a blessing. She sighed with pure relief. Martha closed the door behind the Hath and hugged Rose.

"It's so warm in here!" she laughed. She pulled away a big grin in her face. "So, we're here! Now we only need to find the Doctor." And Jenny, Rose thought a bit worried. She wished the Doctor wasn't still mad at her. And that he'd let Jenny to come with them when this was all over.

She followed Martha and the Hath and thought about children, something she really rarely thought. She remembered the moment the Doctor had said he had been a father, how it had felt. She had been so young back then, and so sure she'd never want children. But when the Doctor had told her about being a father, it had felt like the ground under her feet had crumbled down. She had never thought about the possibility that the Doctor had had children. Damn, she had even thought she was the first one he had ever traveled! The Doctor never told her more about his children. Sometimes he mentioned Susan, but that was all. And now he had a daughter. But was he willing to treat Jenny like his daughter?

"Rose?"

Rose, startled, jumped a little and looked at Martha. "Sorry. Did you say something?"

"Could you call the Doctor?" Martha asked. "It's been a while. I'm starting to get worried."

"Yeah. Sure," Rose said, taking her phone out of her pocket. But before she could dial the number, she heard footsteps running towards them. A great smile spread on her face and she rounded the corner in the exact same time as the Doctor did.

"Rose!" he shouted, pulling her into a hug. "Are you alright? Why are you all muddy? You look pale. I should've known you wouldn't stay away from the excitement."

Rose laughed. The Doctor let her go and hugged Martha.

"Rose?"

Rose turned to a strange voice and faced the small blonde girl with shining brown eyes, unsurely smiling at her.

"Hello," the girl said shyly.

"Oh, you must be Jenny," Rose smiled. "Hi."

It looked like there were tears in her eyes, slightly confusing to Rose. Then Jenny ran towards her and wrapped her hands around her neck, burying her face into her shoulder. Surprised, Rose hugged her back. It felt surprisingly natural. She heard another touch in her head, this time Jenny's.

"Mum..."

What?

"What?" Rose said, looking at the Doctor, who rubbed her neck in a very familiar manner.

"It's not what you think," he said. "I didn't tell her you're her Mum. Donna did."

Rose looked at Donna.

"Well, duh," the redhead said, rolling her eyes. "If the Doctor's her dad then you're her mum. I thought it was obvious."

Jenny pulled away. Tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"Don't you want to be my Mum?" she asked. Rose's face melted into a smile.

"Of course I do," she answered without hesitation. If Jenny wanted to be her daughter... that would be one of the strangest things she'd ever done, but she could do it. Jenny burst into tears and Rose hugged her again. She felt Jenny's mind in hers, full of hope and fear and joy and excitement. For the first time, Rose was able to feel how it felt if she had complete access to somebodys mind, with no walls, shields, or doors, able to see and feel everything Jenny thought and felt and remembered. It was a bit scary, she put shields up so that everything wouldn't pour into her mind. She smiled. It would be so strange to be a mother to a grown up daughter. But she could do it, couldn't she? She should, because if she was right, she would have to do it anyway. Approaching voices broke their hug.

"That's the General!" the Doctor said. "We haven't got much time."

"We don't even know what we're looking for!" Donna cried.

Rose laughed. This was something she loved, something she had missed, something absolutely brilliant.

"Can everyone in here smell flowers, or is it just me?" Martha asked out of the blue. Rose sniffed. She could smell it too. That was strange. She hadn't seen anything even remotely close to a plant in here.

"Yes! Bougainvillea!" the Doctor said, excited. "I say we follow our noses!"

"Blocks seven to ten, advance with me!" a voice from the distance yelled. Rose had a feeling that the voice didn't belong to anyone nice. The group rushed into a hall and Rose's heart skipped a beat. It was like a greenhouse in a botanical garden, full of plant life. The smell was wonderful. In the middle of the sprawling jungle, there was a small pedestal. On a top of it, hanging in the air, was a shining sphere. Rose stepped a bit closer, amazed.

"Oh, yes! Yes! Isn't this brilliant?" the Doctor chirped.

"Is that the Source?" Donna asked.

"It's beautiful," Jenny sighed.

"What's the Source?" Rose asked.

"When the goddess created the universe, she sighed. That's her sigh," Jenny said, smiling.

"It's terraforming," the Doctor said, spoiling Jenny's excitement. "A third generation terraforming device."

"Terraforming," Rose repeated. "What does it do, form planets?"

"Exactly!" the Doctor said, looking at her proudly. "That's exactly what it does. All this", he said, gesturing around him. "Only bigger, much bigger! It's in a transit state. Producing all this must help keep it stable before they finally–" his ramble was cut short as the Hath and human soldiers appeared from the oppisite sides of the hall, all of them cocking a gun as they saw each other.

"Stop!" the Doctor shouted. "Hold your fire!"

The General, an old-ish man with firm look on his face, was the first to talk. "What is this? Some kind of trap?"

"You said you wanted this war over," the Doctor pointed out.

"I want this war won!" the General shouted.

"War can never been won," Rose said, stepping forward next to the Doctor. "I'm a human and I've traveled across galaxies and seen wars all over the universe, heard legends of wars that have been raging for thousands of years, like the Sontarans and Rutans, the war between Kabilians and Targeshé, the Last Great Time War. None of those wars was won. In war, there are never winners. Never."

"You don't even know why you're here," the Doctor said, taking Rose's hand into his and she felt how proud he was of her. "Your whole history, it's just orally told whispers. Getting more distorted the more it's passed on," he turned to point the sphere. "This is the Source. This is what you're fighting over. A device to rejuvenate a planet's ecosystem. It's nothing mystical. It's from a laboratory, not some creator. It's a bubble of gases. A big ball of stuff for accelerated evolution. Methane, hydrogen, ammonia, amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids. It's used to make barren planets habitable. Look around you!" he said, spreading his arms. "It's not for killing, it's bringing life. If you allow it, it can lift you out of these dark tunnels and onto the surface. We could smash the sphere into the ground. It will break into pieces and the gas inside of it will escape and spread into the bright, bright sunlight! No more fighting. No more killing." With that, he grabbed the sphere and gave it to Rose. "Would you do the honors?"

She smiled at him and slammed the sphere into the ground, watching as the gas inside it spread into the air, glowing beautifully. Everyone put their guns down to watch the miracle happening. Rose felt a small hand to slip into hers and looked at Jenny. She looked at the gases and smiled.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"I can't say for sure, but I'd guess that the terraforming procress thing has started."

"What does that mean?"

"It means a new world," the Doctor said. Jenny laughed. Her laugh was bright and joyful and Rose knew for sure that she was going to love this child like she was meant to be with her and the Doctor. She turned to the Doctor and cupped his cheek, titling her head.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?"

But she couldn't answer. She heard Jenny's laughter die too soon and, following her gaze, had just enough time to see the General to rise his gun and point it at her and the Doctor. She reacted at the same time as Jenny did; she pushed the Doctor down to the ground and fell over him. But at the same time Jenny threw herself between them and the bullet and it hit her on the chest. She didn't cry or yell but stayed on her feet for a while, keeping her hand on her chest. Rose saw a flash of blonde hair.

"Mum?" said a voice from somewhere. A green and red galaxy sparkled. "One will die!" She gasped.

"Jenny!" Rose cried, and the Doctor was on his feet just in time to catch Jenny before she hit the ground. A horrible headache hit and Rose closed her eyes. She saw Jenny laying on a medbed, she heard her laughter, her calling out for her mother. When it ended she raised her eyes and looked at the Doctor, holding her daughter, and then to the General, who was held still by other soldiers.

"Why?" she asked. "Why did you do that?" Her voice broke and she knelt beside the Doctor, Jenny and Martha, who were checking her pulse. Jenny's green shirt turned as dark as the blood.

"Is she gonna be alright?" Donna asked. Martha shook her head slightly.

"Mum?"

Rose ripped her eyes off her wound, which was so familiar to the Master's, and looked at her daughter.

"Yes, Jenny?" she said gently, taking her cold, dry hand and squeezing it. She wanted to think her hand was so cold because she was a Time Lady and not because...

"Are you mad at me?"

A teary sob escaped her lips.

"No, of course I'm not."

"Jenny?" the Doctor said, his voice trembling. "Be strong, now. You need to hold on. Do you hear me? We've got things to do, you, me and Rose. Our family. Hey? Hey? We can go anywhere. Everywhere. You choose."

"That sounds good," Jenny said. There was a drop of blood to the corner of her mouth, reminding Rose once again of the Master. And at that point she knew what was going to happen. Tears came to her eyes and she blinked almost angrily.

"You're my daughter and we've only just got started," the Doctor said, his voice started to break. "You're gonna be great. You're gonna be more than great. You're gonna be amazing! You hear me? Jenny?"

Jenny's eyes closed and she sighed one last time. Tears ran down Rose's cheeks. Even if she had just met her, even if she had known her less then fifteen minutes, she already knew that she was her daughter and she would have loved her. Still holding Jenny's hand, she wrapped her free arm around the Doctor's shoulders and hid her face in his neck. She felt him struggling with the rage storming inside him, and did her best to calm the storm down before it would break and he would do something he'd regret. The Doctor made a slight movement and Rose let go of him. He looked up at Martha.

"Two hearts," he swallowed. "Two hearts, she's like me. If we wait... if we just wait…" There was a hint of hope in his voice. Rose laid her hand on his shoulder and he looked at her. The desperation in his eyes was so deep that tears started to pour down her cheeks again.

"Did you see... did you?" he asked, not able to end the sentence. But Rose knew what he meant anyway, and telling him the truth hurt her as much as hearing it hurt him. She shook her head slightly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered and meant it. She should have known... the Bad Wolf should have known. If she had, if she would've understood... Why didn't the Bad Wolf tell her?

"She was too much like me," the Doctor said regretfully. The he kissed Jenny's forehead and, leaving Jenny in Rose's lap, marched to the General and picked up his gun, pointing it to his head. He was breathing heavily, staring at the man who had just killed his daughter. From the corner of her eye Rose saw how shocked both Martha and Donna looked, but she knew better; she knew that the Doctor would never do it, he would never murder anyone. He was better than that. And he proved her right when he lowered the gun and kneeled to the Generals eye level.

"I never would," he seethed. "Have you got that? I never would!" He stood and looked around himself, at the men and the Hath. "When you start this new world," he shouted, "This world of human and Hath, remember that! Make that the foundation of this society– a man who never would!"

He threw the gun away and went back to Jenny's body, picked it up and carried it away.

"Should we take her somewhere else?" Rose whispered. "To a proper burial? It seems so cruel to leave her here. We're her family."

The Doctor gave her a gloomy look as she gently stroked his arm. He was completely locked up, not a hint of his thoughts or feelings were known to Rose. She felt sad about it, but understood. Sometimes the grief was so strong that sharing it was too scary. She had had a grief like that for months, back in the parallel universe.

"Let us," a young soldier said. "We'll give her a proper ceremony. I think it'd help us." He paused and looked at the both of them. "Please."

To that the Doctor, a stormy look in his eyes, nodded.

"You sure?" Rose asked. He nodded again and Rose left it be. They went back into the TARDIS and the Doctor looked at his severed hand in the jar and sighed.

"Jenny was the reason for the TARDIS bringing us here," he said. "It just got here too soon, which created Jenny in the first place. A paradox. An endless paradox."

He covered his face with his hands and Rose knew he was trying to push it all away, to run away from it again.

"Time to go home," he said.

"Yeah," Martha said. "Home."

• • •

Rose waited in the TARDIS while the Doctor said goodbye to Martha once again.

"You alright?" Donna asked, taking a seat next to her.

"Yeah."

"It's okay if you're not," Donna said. "I know you didn't know her much, but she still called you Mum."

Rose laid her hand on her stomach and pulled it away, sighing. "Yeah," she said again. The door closed and the Doctor came in. He looked dark, angry, and sad. Donna stood up and left the console room without another word. Rose went to the Doctor and laid her hands on his chest, over both of his hearts. She wanted to tell him how sorry she was for him, but there were no words for that. Nothing she could say would make his pain go away.

"She seemed wonderful," she whispered. A silence followed her words. Then, much to her surprise, he began to cry. It wasn't just silent tears in his eyes like she had seen before. He cried with violent, loud sobs and dropped to his knees. Rose immidiately knelt beside him and pulled him to her arms. He grabbed her and held her almost painfully tight. The emotional rush that hit Rose was overwhelming. All of his thoughts and emotions crashed into each other, and she knew it wasn't just Jenny he was grieving. She wondered whether this was the first time he had really cried since the Time War. Rose tried all she could to let him know how deeply she felt for him, how sorry she was about his loss. She sent him all her comfort and love she felt and little by little, his sobs eased.

"Sorry," he sniffed but still didn't let go of him.

"It's alright," she said, smiling a bit. "It was time for you to cry on my shoulder anyway. Otherwise it would've been just me all the eternity."

He made a noise that Rose couldn't tell if it was a sob or a laughter. She pulled a bit further away to face him and placed her palm on his wet cheek. She smiled and wiped the tearmarks away.

"Besides. Crying can do you a world of good. I've never seen you cry before, you know."

"That's because I don't."

"Well, now we know it won't kill you, yeah?" she teased gently. He smiled and then went serious again. "What?"

"Please don't leave me," he said.

"Never," she said firmly. "I would never leave you, Doctor. I love you."

The Doctor hugged her again. She kissed his neck and temple and looked him in the eye smiling softly.

"Come on then. Let's go and make some tea."

It had been long couple of days and they were both tired. They sat at the table holding steaming cups of tea and talking. At first they talked about Jenny, the Doctor told Rose what she had been like, how she had made a choice not to fight.

"She reminded me of you," the Doctor said. "Or didn't, actually, not at first. Only after Donna pointed it out. So... in a way... she was your daughter as well."

"Doesn't matter if she would've been the opposite of me," Rose said. "She called me 'Mum'."

The Doctor's hold of her fingers tightened.

"Maybe..." Rose began thinking of the touch. "I don't know."

All the thoughts about telling him what she doubted had vanished. There were no way she'd tell him now, not when the scars Jenny's death had left were so fresh and aching. So she put the idea of the meaning of the touch carefully behind a locked door and took care that nothing of it would leak through.

"You should go to bed," the Doctor said after a small pause. "You've been up over forty-eight hours."

"Yeah."

They didn't move.

They were laying on the bed, curled up next to each other for the first time in a very long while.

"Do you think we can ever stop it?" she asked, leaning her cheek against his slightly hairy chest. "Can we ever trust each other's love or shall we always be afraid that the other one will walk away?"

He buried his nose into her hair. "I don't know. Maybe with time, we will learn," he said.

"Let's promise to each other that we will always be ready to remind the other," Rose said.

"I promise," the Doctor said without hesitation. "I promise I am always ready to tell you that I love you. You're my definite, Rose Tyler, and I'll never let you forget that."

She blinked tears from her eyes and reached out to kiss him.

"I promise that as well", she said and kissed him again. There came a loud knock from the door.

"Oi, lovebirds! Have you kissed and made out already? 'Cause you've been there for hours! My clock is three in the afternoon!"

"No afternoons on the TARDIS, Donna," the Doctor said at the same time with Rose. He grinned at her and she giggled.

"Whatever, I didn't come here to wait that you end your mating."

The Doctor groaned, causing Rose's giggle turn into a proper laughter.


	16. The Wasp And the Secret

**A/N:** I am so SO sorry this has taken so long. But my Beta has had timeissues, and she can't help me anymore. So let's give a big hand to **Lunar Lovegood** for betaing this chapter!) So I'm (again) out of a beta, so if you know someone who could help me, I would be more than grateful!

I hope this chapter is wort the wait! Please tell me what you think, I love having reviews!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own anything!

 **The Wasp And the Secret**

Rose couldn't understand why that in 5000000456, when the medical care was at its peak, the best way to know if one was pregnant or not was still to pee on a stick and wait for two minutes.

Drying the tears from her eyes, she sat on the bathroom floor, held the stick in her hands and tried to figure out her own feelings. Did she want it to be positive or negative? Which one would the Doctor want it to be? He had lost his whole planet, he was the last Time Lord in existence, and he had just lost Jenny; his daughter, the Time Lady. And the Master... They had both lost him, but she wasn't sure who had lost more. The Doctor had lost the only other Time Lord there was, the only one who shared the same history, the same horrifying memories of the war.

Rose didn't want to think about what she had lost. She needed to think of the child. Would he even want to have a child? Would the child be a Time Lord? Did she want a child? When she had been a teenager, she had though she would never want to have children. Mum had said that she would change her mind when she met "the one". Then she met the Doctor... Rose shook her head. She hadn't wanted Jimmy's kids, nor did she ever want Mickey's. The Doctor's, on the other hand... maybe she did want his children. She was older now, more mature, and in some strange way, she knew that now was the time to have children. But to raise a child in the TARDIS! How would she manage?

By now, two minutes had passed. Bracing herself, Rose glanced down at the test.

#####

Rose almost crashed into the Doctor as they both tried to enter the room the other was leaving. He grinned at her and her heart swelled. She had missed that smile, especially when it was meant for her. She smiled back. For a moment she thought about telling him. She really should have told him, but she didn't want to ruin the moment. It had been so long since they last had been this close and she was afraid that her news would change it somehow. What if the Doctor didn't like it? If he didn't want… He'd just lost Jenny, what if...

"You're blonde again," he pointed out. Oh, right. She had forgotten about that. That was an odd thing to forget. She tilted her head.

"Is it bad?"

"No, I like it. I like your hair in any colour. Or no colour. I'd like you even bald."

Rose laughed. It was strange how quickly they had slipped back to their roles as lovers. Especially after what had been just a couple of days ago. Not that she was complaining.

"Donna's waiting for our next journey," the Doctor said, grin never leaving his face. "I thought about a quick visit to some planet. You know, shopping, she likes shopping, maybe meeting some famous movie star from sixty-first century, I'm pretty sure she'd love Adam Jackson, nothing special, just a nice, calm evening with good company."

Rose laughed again and reached out to straighten his tie. "Or," she said, "we could go to any random spot. See what the TARDIS has to offer."

"Aww," the Doctor said, putting his hands to her hips. "I love it when you read my mind."

"You're an open book to me, Doctor."

"I know."

He kissed her softly. Oh, how she had missed this! Why did they ever let this slip away from them? She would never let it happen again. Never.

"I love you," she said as he pulled away. "You know that, right?"

He smiled and rested his forehead against hers, hands still on her hips. "Right," he said.

She'd tell him. Right now she'd tell him. "This is good isn't it?" the Doctor said. "This what it is now."

She felt the courage of telling drain away. She smiled.

"Yeah. This is good," she agreed. Later. She'd tell him later.

#####

"Random!" the Doctor exclaimed when he and Rose entered the console room, where Donna was already waiting. "We all love random! Random's my very favorite thing. Oh, I just wish it won't be anything boring. The TARDIS never picks up boring places. Exept that one time when we ended up in Rod with Martha. I mean, yeah, an earthquake, or a rodquake, was caused by that angry herd of Godzillas, but other than that–"

"I'm sure it won't be dull," Rose said to cut his babble before he would tell them how dull Rod really was. "Right, old girl?"

The TARDIS made a high, joyful sound that sounded like a giggle. Rose grinned.

"That's what I was thinking. Something he likes, right? Some of his heroes? Oh, a heroine? A writer, perhaps?"

"Oh, don't spoil it from me!" the Doctor exclaimed, listening the TARDIS. "I want it to be surprise!"

Donna, who had been opening and closing her mouth throughout the Doctor's endless babble, finally got a change to speak.

"You're blonde!" she yelled, like yelling would make it sure she'd be able to say what she was saying. Rose laughed.

"Yeah. I was blonde when I met the Doctor. It grew out when–" The words left her. Rose swallowed with a smile. "Anyway, shall we go?"

"Yeah, hurry up and send us on our way!" Donna said, making a small but excited jump before grabbing the console. The Doctor grinned happily and pulled the lever. The TARDIS rattled, shook and whirred for a moment before landing with a thud! The Doctor grabbed his coat as he ran to the door, with Rose and Donna on his heels. They stepped out into a sunny green garden. The Doctor walked forward, hands in his pockets.

"Oh, smell that air," he mused. "Grass and lemonade. And a little bit of mint. A hint of mint. Must be the 1920's."

"You can tell what year it is just by smelling the air?" Donna asked.

"Don't ask," Rose told her.

"Oh, yeah," the Doctor said proudly.

"Or maybe that big vintage car coming up the driveway gave it away?" Donna pointed out, nodding towards a car that Rose had only seen on television. It pulled over and honked its horn. Rose followed the Doctor to the corner of the house to have a peek. They watched the small talk between the young-ish reverand and the professor. Donna seemed impatient and was almost hopping in her spot.

"Never mind Planet Zog", she said. "A party in the nineteen twenties! That's more like it."

Rose laughed. She had nothing against a party in nineteen twenties. She could use a small break, and so could the Doctor. He looked at the pair of them.  
"The trouble is, we haven't been invited," he said, and then broke into a grin. "Oh, I forgot. Yes, we have!" He waved the psychic paper. "Let's go and get you two dressed up!"

#####

Rose and Donna spent a lot of time in the dressing room, picking up dresses from the era they were going. In the end Donna was wearing a black dress that was both simple and beautiful and Rose a dark red dress with lots of sequins. She curled her hair and pulled it back in a knot, painted her lips with the same color as the dress and slipped her feet into low-heeled black shoes. A knock from the door told her that the Doctor was getting impatient.

"We'll be late for cocktails!" he said.

"Coming!" Rose said, looked over at Donna and smiled.

"You look great", she said.

"Thank you." Donna smiled. "You too." she turned to the Doctor. "What do you think? Flapper or slapper?"

He smiled. "Flapper. You look lovely," he said.

"And me?" Rose asked. "Too much for a cocktail party?"

The Doctor looked at her up and down, then up again.

"No, I'd say that is perfect for a cocktail party," he said. "You look beautiful."

"Aww," she said. She rose to her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, wiped the lipstick away and gave him her best smile.

"Let's go, then," she said. The Doctor gave both of them an arm and they walked towards the lawn.

"Good afternoon," the Doctor said joyfully as they joined the rest of the group on the lawn.

"Drinks, sir? Ma'ams?" the waiter asked.

"Sidecar, please", Donna said.

"Lime and soda, thank you", the Doctor said.

"Same for me", said Rose, getting the Doctor look at her curiously. Normally, she wouldn't miss a cocktail, be there was a change to have one. She smiled back innocently.

"May I announce Lady Clemency Eddison!"

A small, older woman came to them. The Doctor stepped forward.

"Lady Eddison," he greeted her.

"Forgive me, but who exactly might you be, and what are you doing here?" she asked quite rudely. The smile didn't leave the Doctor's face.

"I'm the Doctor," he said. "And this is Miss Donna Noble, of the Chiswick Nobles and Dame Rose of Powell Estates. Dame Rose is my definitely."

"He means we're lovers", Rose said to a confused Lady Eddison. The Doctor slightly blushed.

"Good afternoon, my lady," Donna said with an posh accent that didn't quite work. "Topping day, what? Spiffing! Top ho!"

"No, no, no, no, no," the Doctor said in a low voice. "No, don't do that. Don't."

Donna looked rather offended. Rose bent a bit closer to her. "He said the exactly same thing when I tried the Scottish accent," she whispered.

"And I thought you couldn't do anything wrong in his eyes," Donna teased.

"You'd be surprised."

The Doctor cleared his throat to get their attention and took his psychic paper out of his pocket. "We were thrilled to receive your invitation, m'lady," the Doctor said, reading from the paper. "We met at the Ambassador's reception."

"Doctor," Lady Eddison said, acting very well on her part of knowing who they were. "How could I forget you? But one must be sure with the Unicorn on the loose."

A small squeal escaped Rose's lips. She took a hold of the Doctor's arm. A unicorn? Fantastic! That was exactly what her list of fantasy creatures was missing. Right then, she felt she couldn't be any happier than she was right now. The Doctor seemed to be just as excited.

"A unicorn? Brilliant. Where?" he asked, looking around in hope of seeing it.

"The Unicorn," Lady Eddison corrected, looking from the Doctor to Rose and Donna in the way that women look at each other when men are being stupid. "The jewel thief? Nobody knows who he is. He's just struck again. Snatched Lady Babbington's pearls right from under her nose."

"Funny place to wear pearls," Donna said. Rose hid a giggle.

"May I announce Colonel Hugh Curbishley, the Honourable Roger Curbishley", the butler said. A young man pushed his father, who was in a wheelchair.

Lady Eddison turned to the Doctor. "My husband and my son," she introduced.

"Forgive me for not rising," the Colonel said. "Never been the same ever since that flu epidemic back in '18."

Roger looked at Rose, Donna and Rose again. "My word, you two are quite the lovely ladies," he said, mostly to Rose.

"Oh, I like the cut of your jib," Donna flirted back. "Chin, chin." He hardly looked at her.

"Hello. I'm the Doctor," the Doctor interrupted.

"How do you do?" Roger said.

"Very well," the Doctor answered, even though it wasn't exactly a question. Rose rolled her eyes but smiled, feeling a bit flattered.

"Your usual, sir?" the footman said.

"Ah, yes Thank you, Davenport," Roger said, taking his glass. "Just how I like it." He turned back to Rose. "My lady", he said, raising his glass.

"My lord!" Rose answered cheekisly. She felt the Doctor's eyes on her and her smile grew.

"How come she's an Eddison, but her husband and son are Curbishleys?" Donna, who had given up on Roger, asked the Doctor.

"The Eddison title descends through her. One day Roger will be a Lord."

"Robina Redmond," the butler intorduced a young dark haired woman.

Lady Eddison smiled and turned to speak to them. "She's the absolute hit in the social scene. A must." She left them to go and greet Robina.

"Reverend Arnold Golightly."

The readhaired man from earlier joined them.

"Ah, Reverend," said Lady Eddison, who was trying to be everywhere at once. "How are you? I heard about the church last Thursday night, about those ruffians breaking in."

"You apprehended them, I hear," the Colonel said.

To Rose, that sounded only slightly interesting. Maybe the TARDIS had brought them into a quiet spot for once. Maybe she wanted to give them a break. Maybe, just maybe, she wanted to give her a chance to tell the Doctor about her pregnancy.

"As the Christian Fathers taught me, we must forgive them their trespasses," Golightly said. "Quite literally."

"Some of these young boys deserve a decent thrashing," Roger said loudly, smiling at Rose and giving a quick glance at Davenport.

"Couldn't agree more, sir," he agreed.

Donna lowly chuckled with relief when she understood it wasn't because of Rose that Roger ignored her. "Typical," she said. "All the decent men are on the other bus."

"Or Time Lords," the Doctor mused. Rose elbowed him. "What?"

"Now, my lady," Roger said to his mother. "What about this special guest you promised us?"

Rose glanced at the Doctor, wondering if he was thinking what she was thinking. The TARDIS had promised a famous person and Rose was fairly certain that they would be an author.

"Here she is!" Lady Eddison announced. "A lady who needs no introduction!" Everyone applauded. Rose had no idea who the woman was, but she clearly was loved and admired by the people around. She took the Doctor's hand to get a hint but he seemed to be just as ignorant of her identity as she was.

"No, no, please, don't," the blonde woman in her thirties said, embarassed. "Thank you, Lady Eddison. Honestly, there's no need." She looked around and came straight to the Doctor, Rose and Donna. "Agatha Christie," she said.

"What about her?" Donna asked numbly.

"That's me," the woman answered. The Doctor's jaw dropped. Rose squealed again.

"No. You're kidding," Donna said, astonished, a smile spreading across her face.

"Oh my gosh!" Rose exclaimed. "Even I've read some of your books!"

"Agatha Christie!" the Doctor said, shaking her hand. "I was just talking about you the other day. Remember Rose? I said to her, 'I bet she's brilliant.' I'm the Doctor. Oh, I love your stuff. What a mind. You fool me every time. Well, almost every time. Well, once or twice. Well... once. But it was a good once!" He had somehow said everything in the same breath. Even Rose, who was used to his mile-a-minute talk, felt quite breathless. Agatha, however, smiled through his babble and looked from him to Rose and Donna, obviously not sure who they were to him

"Oh, right," the Doctor said. "This is Donna Noble. And Dame Rose is my definitely," he said rather quickly.

"Your definitely," Agatha repeated. "What an unusual term to use of your partner."

"Oh, no, no, no, no," the Doctor said. "We're not married."

"Well, obviously not," Agatha said, nodding towards their linked hands. "No wedding ring."

"Oh. Oh, you don't miss a single thing," the Doctor said, a goofily happy grin on his face. Rose, who had been a bit lost in thought as the Doctor had so eagerly denied them being married, couldn't help smiling at his enthusiasm. If he had been happy at the idea of meeting an unicorn, he was now overjoyed. She only wished he wouldn't be dissapointed. She had learned that it was a really bad idea to meet one's heros.

"I'd stay that way, if I were you. The thrill is in the chase, never in the capture," Agatha said in a small voice, as if sharing a secret.

"I'm not so sure abut that," Rose said. "He never chased me, and still it took years until he had enough courage to tell me how he felt."

"Oi!" the Doctor protested. "It took a while for you, too!"

"You two are impossible," Donna muttered.

Lady Eddison interrupted them. "Mrs. Christie, I'm so glad you could come. I'm one of your greatest followers. I've read all six of your books!" She fell silent for a moment and looked rather awkward. "Er, is Mister Christie joining us?"

There was a cold look in Agatha's eyes. "Is he needed? Can't a woman make her own way in the world?" she asked.

"Isn't that sort of a strange thing to say in the 20's?" Rose whispered to the Doctor, who leaned towards the table and took the newspaper, pardoning himself. When his furrow deepened, Rose leaned over his shoulder to get a glimpse of the paper.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"The date," he replied.

"What about it?" Donna questioned.

"It's the day Agatha Christie disappeared," the Doctor answered, handing the newspaper to Rose, who no longer needed it and put it aside. "She'd just discovered. Her husband was having an affair."

"That's awful," Rose whispered, looking at the woman who was smiling brightly. "I didn't know that."

"You'd never think to look at her, smiling away," Donna said sadly.

"Well, she's British and quite wealthy. That's what they do," the Doctor said. "They carry on. Except for this one time. No one knows exactly what happened. She just vanished. Her car will be found tomorrow morning by the side of a lake. Ten days later, Agatha Christie turns up in a hotel in Harrogate. Said she'd lost her memory. She never spoke about the disappearance till the day she died, but whatever it was…"

"...It's about to happen," Donna finished.

"Right here, right now."

They all looked at Agatha.

"Should've known it's not gonna be just a nice cocktailparty," Rose muttered. As if to confirm her suspicions, a maid ran out of the house, yelling.

"Professor! The library! Murder! Murder!"

#####

They all rushed to the library, the Doctor in the lead. Rose stopped dead when she saw the body. Blood pooled the floor beneath his head, a gruesome sight. She turned her head away. It was never easy, no matter how many times she saw the dead. The Doctor kneeled beside the body and put his sexy-specs on.

"Bashed on the head. Blunt instrument. Watch broke as he fell. Time of death was a quarter past four," the Doctor analyzed. He stood up, went to the desk and started searching through the papers on the desk.

"A bit of pipe," Donna noticed. "Call me Hercules Poirot, but I reckon that's blunt enough."

Agatha kneeled and placed a small piece of paper inside her bag. She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it. The Doctor put the papers down, mumbling that they were worthless.

"Hold on," Donna said, breaking the tension. "The 'Body In The Library'? I mean, Professor Peach, in the library, with the lead pipe?"

Other guests crowded the doorway, trying to catch a glimpse of the horrifying scene.

"Someone should call the police," Agatha said, stating the obvious.

"You don't have to," the Doctor said. He took out his psychic paper and waved it about. "Chief Inspector Smith from Scotland Yard, also known as the Doctor. Miss Noble is the plucky young girl who helps me out."

"Plucky young girl?" Donna asked, offended. "Who's Rose then?"

"She's still my definitely," the Doctor said. "Don't argue, sidekick," he added when Donna opened her mouth. "Mrs. Christie was right. Go to the sitting room. I will interrogate each of you in turn."

Rose didn't have to see him to know how excited he was. Not because of the murder, obviously, but because he'd just gotten a chance to play the detective. She didn't mind that Donna got the part as his assistant, as she had been there many times and had had many titles as his helper. Not as a plucky young girl, though.

The Doctor came to her and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm sorry, darling. Duty calls."

She smiled, amused, mostly to the new name he had called her.

"I understand, dear," she said, getting a glare as her reward.

"Come along. Do as the Doctor says," Agatha said. "Leave the room undisturbed." Rose led her out of the room, giving a quick look to the Doctor from the door. He looked straight back and winked.

#####

The group was soon herded into the sitting room The moment the door was closed, endless chatter filled the room. People glanced at each other, wondering if the one sitting next to them could be the murderer.

"Who do you think did it?" Rose asked the Vicar.

"Isn't your man going to find it out?" he replied.

"What does that have to do with your doubts?" Rose challenged. "Come on, Reverand, I'm sure you're thinking of someone."

"I am not," he answered, tugging at his collar. He scanned the room and quickly looked away. Rose followed his gaze. Roger was talking to Davenport. So it was a known fact, even if no one mentioned it. Feeling a bit sad, Rose excused herself and moved to the door. She passed by Agatha, who was standing right next to the door, and snuck out to go upstairs.

She picked a random door and tried to open it. Upon the discovery that it was locked, she soniced it open, thankful that the lock wasn't wood. The hinges gave a high-pitched squeak, giving the impression that the door hadn't been opened in years.

Rose stepped inside and closed the door behind her. It was a rather small bedroom that looked like it had belonged to a child, with a teddy bear on the bed and a little wardrobe. The whole room smelled like dust and old carpet, yet another aspect of the room signifying it age. Rose opened the closet and found it empty. What was this room? Then she remembered: Lady Eddison had a son. Had this room belonged to him? She went to the window and drew the curtains open. The light almost blinded her and she shut her eyes tight. She heard footsteps approaching and stumbled for the door.

"You won't find anything in there," said a voice.

"I'll decide that for myself, thank you," Donna's voice answered. The doorknob turned and Rose hid herself behind the door. There was a short pause.

"That's odd. This door should be locked," a butler said in surprise.

"Oh, really? Why?" Donna asked.

"Many years ago, when my father was butler to the family, Lady Eddison returned from India with malaria," the butler said. "She locked herself in this room for six months until she recovered. Since then, the room has remained untouched."

"Well, it's not locked now," Donna said and stepped inside.

"There's nothing in there," the butler warned.

"How long had it been empty?" Donna asked. She noticed Rose and opened her mouth. Rose put her finger on her lips. Donna snapped her jaw shut.

"Forty years."

"Why would she seal it off?" Donna wondered aloud, not speaking to anybody in particular. "All right, I need to investigate. You, just buzz off." She shut the door when the butler left. Donna turned to Rose. "What on Earth are you doing here?" she cried.

"The door was locked," Rose replied. "I just thought there might be something interesting in here."

"You're just like him," Donna sighed. "Did you find anything?"

"Nothing whatsoever. You?"

"The Doctor found some alien gunk in the crack in the floor."

Rose smiled and shook her head. "Everywhere we go..."

"He sent me to investigate," Donna said and showed the large magnifying glass. Rose swallowed the laugh. The Doctor must have felt so clever when he gave that to her. Somethimes she wondered why she loved him so much. Not right now, though.

"Oh, you plucky girl," she teased. Donna scowled at her.

"Not you, too," she groaned. A loud buzzing sound silenced them.

"1926, they've still got bees…" Donna mumbled.

"What'd you mean, they don't in 2008?" Rose asked, confused.

"Well, there's been news of the bees disappearing..."

The ear-grating buzz grew louder. Donna turned to the window and screamed in fear at the sight awaiting her.

There wasn't a bee on the window trying to get out. There was a gigantic wasp outside trying to get in.

"Donna, out!" Rose cried. The wasp smashed right through the window, completely shattering the glass. Little bits and shards of the window's remains bounced onto the Right now was not a moment she'd like to get stung by a bee of any size, not even considering one of this scale. "Doctor!"

Donna held up the magnifying glass, pointing it at the monstrous being in front of them. The wasp's reaction was to make the closest possible sound to a scream that an insect could make. Both girls made a beeline for the door. On the other side, Rose slammed the door behind them, just in time to keep the wasp inside the room. Its stinger penetrated the door, causing little splinters of wood to scatter everywhere.

"Doctor!" Rose shouted, her voice echoing down the hall. He came running at a dash, with Agatha close behind.

"What is it?" he asked worriedly. "Are you okay?" He grabbed her shoulders, trying to figure out what was wrong. Rose tried to slow her racing heart and realised she was holding the Doctor's arms with a tight grip. She let go.

"It's a giant wasp!" Donna screamed.

The Doctor turned to her. "What do you mean, a giant wasp?" he asked looking from girl to girl.

"I mean a giant wasp, you incompetent bloke!", Donna cried.

"It's only a silly little insect," Agatha said. She looked at Rose. "I didn't think you'd mind a small little wasp."

"You didn't see the wasp," Rose said dryly.  
"When I say giant, I don't mean 'Oh, it was a little bigger than usual,' I mean it was a giant mutated beast!" Donna continued to yell. "Look at its stinger! _Look at it!_" she fumed, pointing at the proof still stuck in the door.

"Let me see," the Doctor said, pushing Rose gently aside and opening the door. The beastly insect was nowhere to be seen. "It's gone. Buzzed off," he said, almost disappointed, and turned to see the sting. He kneeled next to it.

"Fascinating," mumbled Agatha, closely inspecting the stinger. She reached out a hand to touch it.

"No, no, no, no, no. Don't touch it. Let me," the Doctor said to her. He took a pencil and a test tube out of a pocket and scooped a bit of venom from the sting into a tube. "Giant wasp," he mused. "Well, I've seen a number of enormous bugs, but none in this galactic vector."

"Lost its sting, though," Donna said. "It's probably now defenceless."

"Oh, a creature of this size? It's bound to be able to grow a new one."

"Of course," Rose muttered. She really didn't want to see that wasp again. Normally she wouldn't have been worried about that, but things had changed. What would happen if she got stung?

"Can we all regain out sanity now, please?" Agatha whispered. "There isn't a such thing as a giant wasp."

"Exactly," the Doctor said. "So, the question is, what's it doing here?"

A frantic scream sliced through the air. In a rushed panic, the group got up, ran down the stairs and into the yard. Rose lagged behind a bit. She tried to tell herself she wasn't scared, but she knew she was lying to herself. The only comfort to this rather embarassing feeling was that she wasn't scared for herself. When Rose caught up to the others, the maid laying on the ground was already dead.

A loud buzz sounded, grabbing the Doctor's attention. "There!" he shouted pointing straight at the wasp, which had already a new sting, flying into the house. "Come on!"

They followed it inside and up the stairs. Rose felt the touch again, fear slamming her like a truck. She wasn't sure whether thinking about the baby was making her scared or if the fear was making her think of the baby. She slowed down, lagging behind once again. She tried to calm herself, but a pulse of fear ran through her. Up ahead, she heard the Doctor gushing about the majesty of the creature. More than once, she had wondered where he found the joy in deadly danger. She stepped behind the corner when the Doctor asked the creature to show itself. All the doors on the hallway opened.

"Oh, that's just cheating," the Doctor groaned. He turned to Rose. "You alright?"

"Yeah, fine," she lied. Now was the change to tell him, but she just couldn't get the words out. They had bigger fish to fry. She didn't want to mess this up, she wanted to tell him when the time was right.

"You know," she started to say.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"That... um, wasps. I got stung when I was little. Cried for hours, I did." She wasn't exactly lying, per say, for that had happened. She remembered it quite vividly.

"All the things you've seen, and a bee is what frightens you?" the Doctor asked, bewildered.

"Bees are… a bit of a weak spot for me."

"I thought I was your weak spot!"

"Nah. You're my strong spot," Rose said, giving him her signature smile. The Doctor grinned, his hands finding their way to her waist.

"Oi, you two!" Donna interrupted. "I'm happy that you're all good now, but do you mind? There's been a murder! A giant wasp just tried to kill us! Aren't there more important things to do than flirt?"

The Doctor took a step backwards, rubbing his neck. "Yeah. Sorry. We should go and... where's our room?" he asked.

"Mine's here," Rose said, pointing at her door. "Donna's is over there, and the third one on the right is yours."

"What, we don't share?" the Doctor complained.

Rose snorted. "It's your fault, you know. You were the one who told everyone we're not married."

#####

Rose followed the Doctor into the TARDIS, who was testing the venom he had collected from the stinger. Rose sat down next to him.

"What happenes if that wasp stings someone?" she asked.

"Well, I'd say it'd be fatal," he said keeping his eyes on the screen. The small circles took their places and formed some Gallifreynian writing. To Rose, all it was was gibberish. "A Vespiform," he mumbled. "What's it doing here?"

"And if it stung me?" Rose asked.

He looked at her through his glasses."You probably wouldn't die," the Doctor said, "So don't worry." He turned back to the screen and frowned. Rose moved closer for a better view of the screen, not that she could understand what was written on it.

"Could this have something to do with the fact that there aren't any bees left in 2008?"

"Hmm?" the Doctor inquired. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, it's a wasp, which is sorta like a bee," Rose said. "Is it… I don't know. Doing what the Adipose did?"

The Doctor turned toward her. "You mean that who ever stole Adipose Three and Pyrovilia has also stolen the planet where the Vespiform came from?" he asked.

Rose shrugged. "It's worth a look, isn't it?" she said. "I mean... There must be a reason for the bees dissapearing."

The Doctor turned back to the screen and started typing. "Did you know that animals can sense an approaching catastrophe before it happens?" he started to babble. "Elephants, flamingos and bats, among many others, can sense earthquakes. Sharks know where storms begin. Bees disappear before rain hits. So maybe the migrant bees are heading back to home now that the universe is collapsing!"

"Um, don't you think we should go and catch the murderer before we go and find out what's happening with the bees?" Rose asked.

The Doctor's hands dropped from the console. "Yes?" he asked sheepisly. Rose chuckled.

"The moment when this is done, we can go and investigate. You'll be Holmes and I'll be Watson."

"Or I'll be Poirot and you'll be Hastings?"

"Whatever you want."

#####

In the library, Rose sat down next to Lady Eddison. "Must've been a shock," she said. "Body in the library and now your maid is dead. Not really the best start to a weekend with friends."

Lady Eddison didn't respond. Rose couldn't help but wonder how terribly uncomfortable she must feel with her, as they had never properly met.

"I lost my mother," she said, looking at her feet. "It's been such a long time, but it still feels like yesterday. I remember her every single day. I'm so lucky to have the Doctor. I couldn't have survived without him."

"He is very... unusual man," Lady Eddison said. "How has a knighted woman ended up with a detective inspector?"

"Um… Long story."

"How many more months?" Lady Eddison suddenly inquired.

"What?" Rose asked confused.

"You're pregnant," the Lady said, nodding to Rose's hand laid on her stomach. She blushed and moved it away.

"Is it that obvious?"

"I'm sorry," Lady Eddison said. "I thought it was a common knowledge. I thought that's the reason you're, as a knighted woman, would marry a police officer."

"We're not engaged," Rose blurted out. There was a short silence. Rose shifted uncomftorably. She was ready to leave.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she said before standing up.

"My loss?" Lady Eddison said quite harshly. "What loss?"

Rose frowned.

"Your maid," she said.

"Ah," Lady Eddison said, turning away to hide her blushing face. "Thank you."

#####

She found the Doctor, Donna, and Agatha in the sitting room, all focused on a small case on the table.

"What do you have there?" she asked.

"The unicorn," Donna said. "His tools."

She looked at all the small instruments to open any lock.

"Poor man's sonic device," Rose said. The Doctor snorted.

"Oh, excuse me, this is nothing like a sonic device."

The Butler stepped in.

"Your drinks, ladies. Doctor," he said and turned to Rose. "May I bring something for you, Dame Rose?"

"No, thanks, I'm good."  
He bowed and left.

"How about the science stuff?" Donna said, taking her drink. "What did you find?"

"Vespiform sting. Vespiforms have got hives in the Silfrax galaxy", the Doctor said, taking a sip.

"Again, you talk like Edward Lear," Agatha said.

"Oh, that's nothing, really. Wait 'til he gets hyped," Rose mused. "Then he talkes three times faster..."

The Doctor glared at her and continued like she hadn't said anything. "But for some reason, this one's behaving like a character in one of your books," he said to Agatha.

"Come on, Agatha," Donna smiled. "What would Miss Marple do? She'd have overheard something vital by now, because the murderer thinks she's just a harmless old lady."

Rose wondered if she had heard something vital while she spoke with lady Eddison.

"I may have heard something," she said. "Lady Eddison. She seemed quite offended when I told her that I'm sorry for her loss. She obviously was thinking someone else than her maid."

"Rose," Doctor said.

"What did she tell you?" she asked turning to him and opening her mouth to tell what she was suspicion and even why she was thinking that, but the Doctor didn't look at her.

"No. Something's inhibiting my enzymes." He winced and bent forward, groaning in pain. "I've been poisoned!"

Rose jumped up immidiately and knelt next to him. "What do you need?"

Agatha took his glass and sniffed it.

"Bitter almonds," she said, looking suddenly sad. "It's cyanide. Sparkling cyanide."

The Doctor shakily stood up and Rose followed him as he half ran, half jumped to the kitchen, took a grab of the footman's labels and pulled him closer.

"Ginger beer!" he cried. "I need ginger beer!"

Rose ran after him. He dropped half of what was on the shelf to the floor and grabbed a bottle, pouring it into his mouth and all over himself.

"What do you need now?"

"Protein! I need protein!"

"What about this?" Donna asked. The Doctor took it from her, stuffing peanuts into his mouth. He had still his mouth full when he started to mime what he needed next.

"How many words?!" Donna shouted "One! Shake! Milkshake! Shake shake, cocktailshaker, what do you need, a Harvey Wallbanger?"

"Salt," Rose suggested.

"Harvey Wallbanger?" the Doctor said, crumbs of peanuts falling from his mouth. "How is Harvey Wallbanger one word! Rose was right, I need salt, something salty!"

"What about this!" Donna yelled, bringing him a brown paper bag.

"What's that?"

"Salt!"

"No, it's too salty."

Rose bit her lips; she couldn't decide whether she should be worried or laugh. Agatha gave the Doctor a can of anjovies which he stuffed into his mouth, raising his hand to his sides and spreading his fingers.

"Oh, it's a song!" Donna screamed. "Mammy! I don't know, Captail Races!"

"Doctor", Rose said silently, understanding what he was after. "This might not be the best time to say this but here it comes. I'm pregnant."

"What?" Donna yelled in the same high volume she couldn't drop. The Doctor stepped backwards, his eyes wide, his head bent back and a cloud of grey smoke came out from his mouth.

"Detox!" he said and shook himself. "I should do that more often!" he turned to look at Rose. "Quick thinking. I almost believed that."

Rose opened her mouth and closed it, smiled.

"Yeah. You should've seen your face", she forced a laugh. "What would you have done if that wouldn't have worked?"

"I don't know", the Doctor said. "Donna could've kissed me."

"What?" Donna said loudly, still not able to stop shouting. The Doctor grinned widely and turned to look at Rose, who couldn't really answer his smile.

"Hey", he said and stepped closer, touched her cheek. "I'm okay. Detox, remember?"

"Yeah", she muttered. When he bent to kiss her she put her hand on his chest to stop him. "Just to remind you, you have just put ginger beer, walnuts and anjovis into that mouth. I'm not gonna kiss it until you've brushed your teeth."

"Oh. Right. Ofcourse."

He made a small jump and started to left the room, followed by Rose, Donna and Agatha.

"Doctor, you are impossible", Agatha said, shook her head and climbed up the stairs. The Doctor told Rose and Donna that he'd go to the TARDIS to change and wash up.

"Rose", Donna said before she could follow the Doctor outside. "One thing."

"Yeah?"

"When you said to the Doctor that you're pregnant... that wasn't a lie, was it?"

Rose hesitated. She took a quick look of the hallway to see if the Doctor was close enough to hear. She heard the door to click shut and sighed.

"It might as well be", she said. "I mean... he doesn't want a baby."

"You're not seriously thinking of abortion, are you?" Donna asked, shocked. Rose shrugged, not feeling at all good talking about this subject.

"Well I can't keep him on the TARDIS if the Doctor doesn't want him there."

"You can't do anything before talking to him!" Donna argued. "He has a right to know."

"Donna, you saw how he was with Jenny, how he reacted when she died!"

"Yeah, I did! And if I remember it right you weren't there before the very end!"

Rose looked at Donna, who seemed determined and a bit angry and she started to feel angry at herself as well. She knew there had been a time she thought she'd never ever wanted to have children. And when she had met the Doctor she had thought that it would be impossible anyway. And now... now she knew that she didn't want not to have children. She smiled a bit.

"Okay, I'll talk to him. But later. After all this is over and there isn't a gigantic insect trying to kill us, yeah?"

Donna chuckled.

"Yeah."


	17. The News

**A/N:** Hello! I'm back and so is **anna1991**! I am ever to thankful to her, I couldn't do this without her as my Beta!

Okay, about the chapter. I know it's a bit sugary, but come on, they need it every once in a while. And knowing myself as a writer... They really need it. That's all I'm saying. Anyway, please read and review! I'd me so happy to hear (or read) what you thought!

 **Disclaimer:** The usual.

 **The News**

It was a dark and stormy night, and the Doctor really enjoyed of it all. There was a murder, well, three murders actually, and a thief and an alien; how could it be any better? They had had a wild dinner party with darkness and screaming and the buzz of the wasp and after the lights came back they found Roger, the son of Lady Eddison and Colonel Curbishley, dead. Someone had stabbed him in the back. Quite literally. Oh, and the Firestone, a priceless jewellery, had been stolen. So the Unicorn had done their move when it was dark. It wasn't funny, really, it wasn't, and he did his best to be not so very excited about the turn of events. Oh, but he couldn't! There was a murder, a mystery and Agatha Christie! Donna was right, this was brilliant! Of course he, with his brilliant Time Lord mind and brain, had figured it out already. Well, he had needed some help from Rose, who had figured out the fact that lady Eddison had a love child with an alien. And also Agatha and her brilliant human mind and brain. Or Rose's equivalent, but this was Agatha's moment. And it was a very Agatha Christie kind of a moment, really. They had all gathered into the sitting room and sat down to wait for Agatha to tell them who the killer was. She also revealed all the other secrets as well, in a very Poirot and Marple kind of way, and it amused the Doctor a great deal. Would've amused him more if Rose hadn't been so silent all of a sudden. He had no idea what had happened. Earlier that same day she had been laughing and squealing in a very Rose Tyler kind of way and then, quite suddenly, she wasn't. Maybe she was just tired? They had, after all, been up and about for the whole day and people were dying and it was never nice when they did and it did cause a lot of stress. He hoped it was because of that. He let the idea drop and listened to Agatha telling the others who the Unicorn was and, actually by accident and to her own surprise and the surprise of everyone else except the Doctor, that Colonel Curbishley wasn't actually paralysed. Then she told them that Lady Eddison had had a lover in India and that she had been pregnant. That's when he had stood up. He quite enjoyed his time on the stage, pointing out several small details, like what Lady Eddison had said in the dining room and how that meant she had seen and heard something like that before. And there were all kinds of really not so funny moments and people didn't really get his point and it was irritating. But in the end, and that had been was the best part, he got to say who the murderer was. And that it was the vicar, and he was the son of the Vespiform and oh, wasn't it brilliant! It shocked everyone, especially Lady Eddison.

"My son", she whispered. "Can it be?"

"You found those thieves, Reverend, and you got angry", the Doctor said. "A proper, deep anger, for the first time in your life, and it broke the genetic lock. You changed. You realised your inheritance. After all these years, you knew who you were. Oh, and then it all kicks off, because this isn't just a jewel. It's a Vespiform telepathic recorder. It's part of you, your brain, your very essence. And when you activated, so did the Firestone. It beamed your full identity directly into your mind. And, at the same time, it absorbed the works of Agatha Christie directly from Lady Eddison. It all became part of you. The mechanics of those novels formed a template in your brain. You've killed, in this pattern, because that's what you think the world is. It turns out we are in the middle of a murder mystery. One of yours, Dame Agatha."

"Dame?" the woman in question gasped.

Oh well, it wasn't just Donna, was it?

"Oh. Sorry, not yet", he apologised.

"So he killed them, yes? Definitely?", Donna asked.

"Yes", the Doctor said.

"Well, this has certainly been a most entertaining evening", Golightly said. "Really, you can't believe any of this, surely, Lady Edizzon."

He started to buzz. Oh, this was bad. Very very bad. And also very very good, because now he would prove himself guilty.

"Lady who?" the Doctor insisted.

"Lady Edizzzzon", Golightly repeated.

"Lovely buzz, Vicar", Rose said. "Try a bit more and I'm sure we all believe you are a wasp."

The Doctor reached to pull Rose further away from the Vicar, but she moved behind him all by herself. That was unusual from her. Maybe she really was afraid of wasps?

"Don't make me angry", the Vicar warned.

"Why? What happens then?" the Doctor asked, knowing far too well what'd happen.

"Damn it, you humanzz", the Vicar said. His head was twitching and he started to glow purple: "Worshipping your tribal sky godzz. I am so much more. That night, the universe exploded in my mind. I wanted to take what wazz mine. And you, Agatha Christie, with your railway station bookstall romancezz, what'z to stop me killing you?"

The Doctor, still having a hold of Rose, told her mentally to get ready to run. And fast.

"Oh, my dear god. My child", Lady Eddison cried.

"What'zz to stop me killing you all?" the Vicar buzzed. And then, ooh, it was brilliant, he turned into a wasp with a puff of purple smoke. Really pompous, he had to admit.

"Forgive me", Lady Eddison sobbed and her husband tried to calm her down. And that's when Agatha did something incredibly stupid. She stepped forward to speak to the creature, holding up the Firestone. How did she even get that? She was taking his job! It would be a very bad thing if Agatha would die!

"No!" she announced. "No more murder. If my imagination made you kill, then my imagination will find a way to stop you, foul creature."

And with that, she ran off the room. The Doctor pulled Rose along with him. Donna followed them, and they all ran out of the room and to the corridor, and the wasp was following them. It wasn't always a good thing if different species made babies. It often ended up in a disaster. Sometimes he was so happy that Time Lords couldn't have babies. Just the idea of having a baby in the TARDIS... with Rose... not like he wouldn't like to have a baby with Rose, he would love have a baby with Rose, but in the end a baby that would be half Time Lord and half what-ever-Rose-was could just as easily end up transforming into a vicious wasp that would want to kill everyone because of a piece of jewellery. Babies, he knew, were just as bad as vicious wasps even if they really weren't wasps. He had to admit that when Rose had said she was pregnant he had been shocked, which was good because that's what he had needed, but he had also been hopeful of the idea of having Rose's baby. And then sad, because he knew she was saying that only to shock him. Having all those emotions in a split second was strange and he really didn't want to go there again. So he was happy he couldn't father babies. He looked at Rose, whose hand he was still holding, and she looked back with her eyes wide. Had she heard that? Surely not. But what if she had? Did Rose want a baby? If she did and he couldn't give her that... Now that was a bad thing. When they got out of the house, the Doctor and Rose shut the door behind themselves. Agatha stopped the car and blew the horn. The wasp burst through the door. He noticed Rose taking several steps backwards and looked at her worriedly. Rose said she was scared of bees, but he didn't buy that. This was something else. When this would be over, he'd find out what was going on. The wasp hovered over them a moment.

"Over here! Come and get me, Reverend!" Agatha shouted.

"Agatha, what are you doing?" the Doctor asked.

"If I started this, Doctor, then I must stop it", she answered, and he had thought she'd say something like that and it wasn't good at all. Agatha drove off and the angry Vicarwasp clearly hesitating and asking himself whether he should attack the Doctor or follow Agatha, ended up choosing the latter option.

"Come on", the Doctor said, stressed, and beckoned the two women to follow him and get into a car.

"You better drive this better than the TARDIS", Rose muttered.

"You try and drive the TARDIS alone", the Doctor answered, glad that she still teased him. So it couldn't be that bad then.

"You said this is the night Agatha Christie loses her memory", Donna pointed out.

"Time is in flux, Donna. For all we know, this is the night Agatha Christie loses her life and history gets changed", the Doctor answered. And didn't he hope it wouldn't end up there. To lose all those great books! And that brilliant person! No, he wouldn't let that happen!

"But where's she going?" Donna asked as they passed a sign that said 'Silent Pool'.

"The lake", he realised. "She's heading for the lake. What's she doing?"

He parked the car and stepped out. Agatha stood by the lake, holding the Firestone in her hand above her head, calling for the Vespiform to come to her.

"She's controlling it", Donna said.

"Its mind is based on her thought processes", the Doctor said. "They're linked."

"Quite so, Doctor. If I die, then this creature might die with me", Agatha said.

"No!" Rose said. "There must be another way!" she turned to look at the wasp and that made it clear to the Doctor; Rose wasn't scared of the insect at all.

"Let her go! You're a wonderful creature; your mind is just messed up or something! Let us help you. The Doctor can help you!"

"It's not listening to you", Donna said, ran to Agatha, took the Firestone from her hand and threw it into the lake. The alien, buzzing for a while, dived after it. "How do you kill a wasp? Drown him, just like his father", she said. Rose looked at the boiling, purple water pale and sad look on her face. He knew what she was thinking.

"Donna, that thing couldn't help itself", he said.

"Neither could I."

He went to Rose and laid his hand on her shoulder. She startled and turned to face him.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. Just... pity. Just when Lady Eddison got her son back", she swallowed. "To lose two sons at the same day..."

He felt a sting of sadness that wasn't his and had nothing to do with Lady Eddison's children.

"Just one mystery left, Doctor", Agatha said. "Who exactly are you?"  
But before he could answer, she bent forward, visibly in pain. Rose shook his hand off and went to her before she collapsed.

"Oh, it's the Firestone", the Doctor said. "It's part of the Vespiform's mind. It's dying and it's connected to Agatha."

For a one bizarre moment, Agatha glowed purple. Then it faded and Agatha fainted.

"He let her go", the Doctor said relieved. "Right at the end, the Vespiform chose to save someone's life."

"Is she all right, though?" Donna asked.

"Of course", the Doctor said warmly. "The amnesia. Wiped her mind of everything that happened. The wasp, the murders..."

"And us", Donna said sorrowfully. "She'll forget about us."

"Yeah", he admitted, "but we've solved another riddle. The mystery of Agatha Christie. And tomorrow morning, her car gets found by the side of a lake. A few days later, she turns up in hotel at Harrogate with no idea of what just happened."

He looked at Rose, who nodded and helped him carry Agatha into the car. They drove to the TARDIS and carried her in. Agatha started to wake up when they landed.

"It's so sad that she's won't remember anything", Rose said.

"That's what history says", the Doctor apologised.

"Yeah, I know", she sighed. Agatha opened her eyes but she clearly couldn't focus on anything. They led her out of the doors and watched as she walked off.

"No one'll ever know", the Doctor said.

"Lady Eddison, the Colonel, and all the staff. What about them?" Donna asked.

"Shameful story", the Doctor said a bit amused. "They'd never talk of it. Too British. While the Unicorn does a bunk back to London town. She can never even say she was there."

"What happens to Agatha?" Donna asked.

"Well, she wrote, didn't she", Rose said, smiling sadly. "About mysteries just like this. Secret babies and mothers and all that stuff."

"She had a great life", the Doctor added. "Met another man, married again. Saw the world. Wrote and wrote and wrote."

"She never thought her books were any good, though", Donna said. "And she must have spent all those years wondering..."

They went inside and the Doctor bent down to fetch his chest of memories. He had been quite sentimental in some of his regenerations. Especially this one. He took it out.

"The thing is, I don't think she ever quite forgot", he said, still looking for the chest. "Great mind like that, some of the details kept bleeding through. All the stuff her imagination could use. Like Miss Marple."

"I should have made her sign a contract", Donna joked.

"And..." he paused, diving deeper, "where is it, where is it, hold on", he found it. "Here we go."

He pulled it up and wiped dust from the cover.

"C", he said. "That is C for Cybermen," he threw out the head of a Cyberman. Rose lifted her eyebrows but said nothing. "C for Carrionites." A crystal ball inside which the Carrionites were still banging on the glass. Rose picked it up and looked at it with great interest. He threw out some other stuff with the letter C, blimey there were many, and then, "and Christie, Agatha. Look at that", he took out an old paperback book, 'Death in the Clouds'.

"She did remember", Donna said, holding the book like the greatest treasure. The Doctor stuffed other C-things back into the chest and Rose gave him the Carrionite ball.

"Somewhere in the back of her mind, it all lingered. And that's not all", he said, happy to show this to them. "Look at the copyright page."  
Donna opened the book.

"Facsimile edition, published in the year five billion!" she yelped.

"People never stop reading them. She is the best-selling novelist of all time" the Doctor said.

"So she's your hero for a reason", Rose mused.

"But she never knew", Donna said sadly.

"Well, no one knows how they're going to be remembered. All we can do is hope for the best. Maybe that's what kept her writing. Same thing keeps me travelling", he paused and looked at Rose. "Rose?"

"I'll go and change", she answered.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. I'm alright."

Somehow he thought she wasn't. But when she left he didn't try to stop her. Donna stood, gave the book back to him and followed Rose into the corridor.

"Donna?"

She stopped and turned to see the Doctor.

"What?"

"You know something", he said. Donna frowned and shook her head again.

"I do, but it's not my secret to tell. You need to talk to Rose. That's the thing you never do but now you really should."

"Just... give me a hint, will you? Is she mad at me? Is she going to leave me?"

"I have no idea what's going on in her head right now, but she's pretty upset. And if you don't figure it out yourself, I can't help you", she took a deep breath. "Talk. To. Rose."

#####

She knew she needed to do this. She wanted to wait for the right time to tell him, but it was very likely that there wouldn't be a better time for telling him than now. She wasn't sure if he would even be happy about her news. It had been an accident, he hadn't meant it to leak through their bond, but she had heard it all the same. Bits and pieces at least; his insecurity, how he didn't think having children would be such a good idea. And she hoped Donna wasn't right and she could just... A small knock from the door interrupted her overactive thoughts. She called the Doctor in.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked as he closed the door. Rose shook her head.

"No. It's me. It's..." she took a deep breath and stood up. She went to him and smiled insecurely. "I need to tell you something", she said. "And I'm not sure if you're gonna like it."

He gestured for her to sit down.

"What is it?" he asked worriedly, taking her hand in his and running his thumb over her knuckles in the way that made her feel safe and loved.

"Remember when you got that cyanide poisoning?" she asked to win some time.

"Yes?"

"And you needed a shock. And I said... I said."

"You said you were pregnant", the Doctor ended.

"Yeah."

She looked at him, hoping he would get it and not be as thick-headed about this as he sometimes was about similar things. It was probably their link that made him get it. His eyes widened.

"You weren't lying", he said slowly.

"No, I wasn't."

She tried to read his face and mind. But his face was blank and his mind blurry. He couldn't think clearly and Rose couldn't really blame him. But as it didn't get any better after a few moments, she started to get worried.

"Um. I'd really appreciate it if you said something", she said.

"Yeah", he said in a high-pitched voice, paused, cleared his throat and moved uncomfortably. That was like a sign to Rose.

"I can get rid of him", she said quickly, not really wanting to say it but not knowing what else to say. "I'm sure that somewhere in the future there's a really easy and painless way to -"

"No!"

The word came out loudly and sharply and startled Rose. He took her hands in his and she felt the hurricane of thoughts storming inside his mind.

"I'm sorry Rose", he said. "My reaction was wrong. I was just... surprised, that's all. Well, that's not all, there are a couple other emotions as well. Well, not only a couple but quite a lot. And that's... that's..."

"Confusing?" Rose offered.

"Yes, that's it, confusing, thank you!"

He breathed in and out.

"Rose", he began. "I didn't know it would even be possible. For you to get pregnant, I mean. So... Yes. But it's great, it really is. Brilliant."

Slowly there came a smile on his face, his eyes lit up and she could finally understand some of the mixed emotions he had. Pleasure, joy, happiness, pride and excitement, all mixed up with fear and doubt and shock. She stroked his mind with hers, palming his cheek.

"You're sure about that?"

"I'm scared to death!" he breathed out and laughed. "I'm gonna be a Dad!" he hugged her fiercely and kissed her several timer o her forehead, cheeks, temples and nose. "I didn't think it'd ever be possible for me to have children again."

Her grin died and he looked immediately regretful.

"But if you don't want to keep -."

"No, I want to", she interrupted. "Just remembered that he won't be your first child."

"He'll still be my first one with you", he said. She felt his brief thought about this child being his only living one as well and the horrible blame that followed it before he pushed it away. To take his mind off the sad thoughts, she smiled teasingly.

"First?" she laughed. "Let's get this one into the world safely before talking about others, yeah?"

He nodded eagerly.

"How do you know the baby is a boy anyway?" he asked.

"I can feel him", Rose said. "Not all the time but every once in a while. A light touch in my mind. Different than yours, more like a... like a glimmer of something being there. Nothing that can be put into words. Here, try this." She took his hand and placed it on her still flat stomach. "Listen."

He closed his eyes and Rose thought about the baby and gave him a mental nudge. She got one back almost immediately. The Doctor's eyes flew open.

"That's... that's impossible! A fetus needs to be very far developed for it to be able to communicate."

"He's not just any fetus", Rose pointed out gently, still holding his hand to her stomach. "He's our child. Half Time Lord, half Bad Wolf."

He smiled.

"He's gonna be amazing", he said simply.

"I hope he'll have your hair", she said, running her hand through it.

"And your eyes", the Doctor said.

"And your lips."

"Mm."

"You're sure you're happy?"

"More than that."


	18. The Power Unknown

**A/N:** Hello lovely readers! I am so sorry for the long wait. But here's the next chapter! Please leave me a comment and tell me what you thought. Just to let you know, the next time we'll see, we'll be in a very dark library with a certain curlyhaired woman ;)

 **Disclaimer** : Not mine.

 **The Power Unknown**

The Doctor was busy thinking about the issue with the bees. Rose and Donna were sleeping and both of them needed it, but didn't he wish he could wake either one of them and ask what they thought. Because once again there was nothing. Well, when he said nothing, he meant nothing to follow. Because Melissa Majoria was exactly where it was supposed to be. There was nothing wrong with it. Sure, a lot of Migrant Bees had travelled back to their planet. So there was something going on that made them return, but well, that wasn't new. The Doctor ruffled his hair in frustration. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know where the missing planets were and who was stealing them. He didn't know why this was happening and how he could stop it from happening. And he hated it.

When he returned to the bedroom and sat on the bed, Rose shifted on the bed.

"Found anything?" she asked, her voice raspy from sleep and her eyes still shut.

"Nothing."

Rose opened her eyes.

"And I was so sure", she said disappointed.

"I know. I was too."

Rose sat up and moved to his side, rested her head against his shoulder. She shut her eyes again.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

"We don't have a choice", the Doctor said. "We wait until something big happens. Something so big that it leaves a clear mark."

"Hmm. Sounds -" she yawned, "good."

#####

Even though Donna already knew about the pregnancy, Rose and the Doctor knew she knew and she was a bad actor, she did her best to play the part of a happily surprised friend. Her excitement made Rose realise that it was actually happening; she was going to be a mother. She was going to have a baby with the Doctor. The most undomesticated person in the universe was going to be a father. And he seemed to be okay with that.

"So, what are we going to do?" Donna asked. "We need to celebrate this somehow!"

"What would you like to do?" the Doctor, who was rocking on his heels, asked exited. "What kind of a party? The future, the past, another planet, another royal ball? Ooh, I know!" he jumped to the control panel and started to push buttons and set dates.

"Where're we going?" Rose asked. She felt exhilarated by all the changed in her life. Her, a mother! She hadn't really thought it through, all her worries had been about telling the Doctor. And after telling him... well, there hadn't been actually that much time to think about it. She found herself hoping they wouldn't end up anywhere too dangerous. Because if her life was at thread, as it so often ended up being while traveling with the Doctor, and the Bad Wolf would take over... what would happen to the baby? She knew the Bad Wolf's presence made her body temperature rise a lot and that it, or should she say she, reacted to adrenalin. Surely the baby couldn't take that? But that was a question for later. Now she just wanted to enjoy this happiness.

"Wait and you'll see", the Doctor smiled. "Hold on!" and he pulled the lever.

#####

"Ah", the Doctor said as he stepped out, followed by two women. "Planet Grimm! Haven't been here for ages! You know, the city of Grimm is made completely of rubies. Rubies here are about as common as sand on a beach on Earth. They build everything of rubies just because it looks nice. Great place. Nothing too dangerous in here."

"Grimm?" Donna wondered. "Like the Brothers Grimm?"

"Yeah", the Doctor said. "They took the name after their home planet. Good fellows. They were on my darts team."

"What, the Brothers Grimm were aliens?" Donna yelped.

"Yeah! How else do you think they managed to publish children books that grotesque? Slightly hypnotic, they are."

"Well, great", Donna growled. "Now I can't think of Cinderella without seeing your Spaceface."

"Spaceface?"

Rose, who had been biting her tongue ever since the Doctor had mentioned having a darts team, started to laugh. They stopped on the edge of a hill, and in front of them lay the view of a city that sparkled in all shades of red. There were two suns on the bright blue sky. She smiled.

"It's wonderful", she sighed. The Doctor looked at her with a goofy grin on his face that was meant just for Rose.

"Come on!" he said, took her hand and pulled her down the hillside after him.

#####

The city around them was bright and shiny. Rose looked around in awe, letting the Doctor guide her through the alleys as she was looking up.

"Where's the party?" Donna asked impatiently. Right then a tall man with hair as long as he was tall walked over to them.

"Where're you going? You aren't invited", he said.

"Oh, I think there's been a horrible misunderstanding", the Doctor said, taking out his psychic paper. "Here's our invitation."He showed it to the man, who looked at it.

"I'm sorry, Sir", he said. "Can't be too careful these days, now, can you?"

"Definitely not", the Doctor said seriously. "Um. Why?"

"Haven't you heard the news? The Virus is on the loose."

With that he left.

"What virus?" Donna asked. "You said there was nothing dangerous here!"

"I said nothing _too_ dangerous", the Doctor said. He looked at Rose. "We should get you back to the TARDIS."

For the first time since ever Rose felt like agreeing. But then the thought hit her; she couldn't be like this for the next seven months or so. Life while traveling in the TARDIS was dangerous, and there was no way she would be able to avoid it forever. And even though she was worried what the Bad Wolf might do if she activated, she also knew that the entity was taking care of her. Surely it could stop her from getting an infection.

"No", she said.

"If there's a virus -"

"- then we should find out what's going on", she smiled softly at the Doctor's unhappy expression. "Don't worry", she said and laid her hand on his arm. "I'm sure the Bad Wolf will take care of me and the baby."

The Doctor seemed to be trying to find a reason to send her back to the TARDIS.

"Doctor", Rose said with a dangerously low voice. "If you dare send me to so-called safety one more time, I swear you're going to regret it."

He gave up and sighed.

"Fine. But if things get dangerous, you do exactly as I say. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir", Rose said and saluted. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Okay", Donna said. "So, does that mean we'll miss the party?"

A sound of a loud fanfare carried over to them. Around the corner came a short man with spiky black hair and a horn and a woman with white curls down to her waist with a parchment roll. They stopped and the man blew another fanfare with his horn.

"The Master and His Highness, the Great and Selfless Saviour, Eugene Grimmanuel has invited you all to a great festive that is held in his palace!" the woman read from the parchment. "He waits for your arrival after the set of the Glowing Sun, and he does not take no for an answer!"

The man blew the horn again and they walked away. Rose looked at the Doctor.

"Who's Eugene Grimmanuel?" she asked.

"He's the ruler of planet Grimm. There's always a Eugene Grimmanuel. It's kind of a title. When one dies, another takes his place."

"So…"

"So I guess Donna gets her party", the Doctor said.

"Okay", Rose said. "Do we need to get a present of some sort?"

"Nah", the Doctor said. "It's not a custom here."

"Oh. And I was thinking that we could give them the breath from our lungs", Rose said with a cheeky grin. She put her hand into the Doctor's pocket and dug out a hand mirror, a hairbrush and a small box of hairpins. Even Donna didn't look as surprised as the Doctor. Rose only smiled at him and started to brush her hair.

"What?" the Doctor asked. Rose couldn't tell if he meant the breath or the hairbrush, but he did watch her carefully as she started pinning her locks.

"Okay. Bananas", Rose said. "I'm sure there's plenty of them on the TARDIS."

The Doctor's face turned into a question mark.

"Ba... bananas?"

"Yeah. Bananas, good source for potassium. And, you should always take a banana to a party, Doctor. Bananas are good."

She said everything with a straight face, but the smile on the Doctor's face was priceless. Donna rolled her eyes and turned to look elsewhere, like she knew exactly what was going to happen next.

"And I thought you never listened to my rambling", he said warmly. She smiled and dropped the stuff into his pocket.

"Your most iconic quotes live forever", she said. He arched a bow.

"Oh? Like what?"

"Like... 'Go to your room' or 'I'd call you a genius except I'm in the room' or... that thing you said on the Titanic."

"Mm", the Doctor hummed and kissed her. "We should get married."

"What?"

A big explosion knocked them to the ground. Dust and smoke rained over them.

"Rose? Donna?"

"I'm fine", Rose said, sitting up. She couldn't see anything; the air was so full of sparkling ruby dust and smoke. An alarm went off. The baby, she thought, panicked, but before she could even think of nudging him, his mind touched hers. She sighed; he was fine.

"What was that?" Donna's voice came near her. "I can't see a bloody thing!"

Rose felt the Doctor's hand find hers. She squeezed it and sent him a wordless message that she was fine, and so was the baby. The shimmering dust started to settle and the Doctor let go of her hand. He went to an old woman, who had opened the door to inspect the damage done to her walls.

"Hello. Sorry. Can you tell me what just happened?" the Doctor asked her.

"Eugene Grimmanuel", the woman answered. "He's looking for the Virus. He sets off those explosives all the time. If you ask me, it is not the way to find the Virus", she started to wipe the doorframes with her apron.

"So... the Virus?" the Doctor said. "It's not a normal virus, is it? Not that kind of virus that floats in the air? Not that kind of virus that causes flu? Invisible tiny little viruses? No?"

The woman frowned.

"Where have you been?" she asked. "Everyone knows the Virus."

"We've been... away for a while", the Doctor waved it off. "What's the Virus?"

"It used to be Eugene Grimmanuel's pet", the woman said angrily. "Until it escaped."

Before anyone could ask another question, she slammed the door shut. Rose went to the Doctor, who looked worried.

"So, a party, an explosion and something called the Virus?" she said. "So very not not too dangerous."

#####

The first thing to do was to go to the party. Donna, who felt rather under-dressed after seeing everyone else's weird costumes, started to complain.

"It's not so bad, actually", the Doctor said. "In Grimm it's the weirdest they look up to. And you, Donna Noble, in your normal 21st century Earth dress, are the weirdest of them all. After Rose, I mean", he added, looking at the woman in question. Rose pulled at her hoodie's sleeves and wrinkled her nose at him. Donna mumbled something that she didn't hear, but let it be. They entered to the Palace.

"We were invited", the Doctor said to a man, who had green hair on the right side of his head. The other side was bald. "I think Eugene Grimmanuel is waiting for us?"

The man bowed and gestured them to follow him. They walked through a hallway that was so high that Rose couldn't see the roof. The man opened a pair of doors and they stepped in. The room was filled with people, all dressed up in the most peculiar dresses Rose had ever seen. Some of them, both men and women, had long, colourful fake lashes. Most of them had strange hair and those who didn't were bald. The high heels gave both women and men more than three inches more in height. But the one everyone seemed to look up to was the most alien of them all. He was male and of average height, but his skin, hair and clothes were all half black and half white. In the middle of his face went the line to separate the colours. He had a bob haircut that was long enough to cover his ears but too short to touch his shoulders. In the black side of his face the eye was white and on the white side it was black.

"It's like yin and yang", Donna said amused.

"Is that Eugene Grimmanuel?" Rose asked from the Doctor.

"Well, that would be my guess, yeah."

"What are we gonna do then?"

"We go and speak to him", he said. "Ask him about the Virus."

They approached him slowly, waiting for a tall woman with ridiculously big curls in her rainbow coloured hair to leave.

"Hello", the Doctor greeted when they got their chance to talk to Eugene Grimmanuel, "I'm the Doctor and this is Rose Tyler and Donna Noble", he flashed his psychic paper at him. He looked at it without any kind of interest. Then he turned his eyes to the Doctor.

"Well, hello there, darling", he said smugly.

"Er. Yes, hello", the Doctor said, looking at Rose and frowning. She was holding back laughter. "We are, er, we heard about the Virus", he said. "Thought that you, your, er, Highness, the Great and, and Good Saviour or what ever it was, could tell us more about that horrifying thing that threatens your... kingdom."

He stuttered, Rose noticed, and it wasn't like him to stutter. But, on the other hand, who wouldn't, if the ruler of the whole planet would look at one like that. Eugene Grimmanuel ran his long, white fingertip around the edge of the wineglass and looked at the Doctor, licked his upper lip and blinked slowly. Next to Rose, Donna started to quiver with silent laughter. The Doctor flushed. Rose felt a bit too much satisfaction because of that.

"The Virus, yes", Eugene Grimmanuel said. "Unfortunately I have nothing to add to the common knowledge."

"Yes, well, we're been gone for a while", the Doctor said. "Don't know anything about the Virus. Only that it escaped. Where did it escape? Why did it need to escape?"

"Ah", Eugene Grimmanuel said and gestured the waiter to come to them. "Could you bring the Doctor a glass of our best wine?"

The Doctor opened his mouth but Rose cleared her throat before he could speak.

"I am so sorry, your Highness, but can I borrow my brother for a while? Thanks", she said and pulled the Doctor further by his elbow.

"Brother?"

She stopped when they were far enough from Eugene Grimmanuel to hear.

"What?" the Doctor asked. "Don't look at me like that."

"I'm sorry, Doctor, but I need you to use your boyish charm on him", Rose said. "While you make him talk and find out where he keeps his bombs and stop them from exposing, we, me and Donna, will look around."

The Doctor looked at the two women with large eyes.

"Why can't Donna do it?" he asked. "She just told me how she'd like to use her womanly wiles!"

"I'm not going to flirt with him!" Donna said. "He's way too alien to me."

"Besides", Rose added, "I think he prefers you."

The Doctor changed the tactic.

"I can't let you go on your own", he said. "With the baby and everything."

"I'm with Donna", Rose said, pointing at the ginger. "What can happen to me when I'm with her?"

"Well..."

"Oi!" Donna protested.

"Doctor, come on. Neither me nor Donna know anything about bombs and you don't want either of us to be alone, yeah? So what's the problem?"

"He's drunk", the Doctor said. He knew he was going to agree in the end, but, well, he wanted to have the last word.

"Oh, stop that. Just be your pretty self and everything's gonna be alright."

"You think I'm pretty?" he asked, trying his best to win some time.

"Stop fishing, bro", she laughed and punched him on the arm with her fist in a very brotherly kind of a way and the Doctor knew right then and there he would never want Rose to punch him like that ever again.

"Alright then", he growled, straightening his tie. "But you owe me."

"Let's say that after this I'm never gonna ask you for those ten quids again."

"Oh, ha ha."

#####

Feeling extremely uncomfortable the Doctor went back to Eguene Grimmanuel. It wasn't like he hadn't been flirted at by men before. But he didn't want to miss all the fun by being stuck here with this black and white humanish man, who kept bending closer after every sip he took from his glass. Couple more sips and he'd fall into his lap! Besides, he didn't feel so good for letting Rose and Donna go and investigate on their own, especially not now that Rose was pregnant and he didn't know what the Virus was. Could it kill them? Probably, since people seemed to be so scared. But what was it? The Doctor had never heard of anything called 'the Virus'. He doubted it was a species called 'the Virus' but more like a creature of some kind that received the name 'the Virus' from Eugene Grimmanuel.

"Er", the Doctor said and took a half a step backwards when Eugene Grimmanuel bent closer again. "I am very fascinated by that Virus -thing. Tell me, where did you find it in the first place?"

"You are awfully interested in matters that are none of your business, handsome", Eugene Grimmanuel answered, smiling with his black and white lips.

"Yeah, that's my biggest fault. I'm curious", the Doctor said and cleared his throat. "If you are looking for it using explosions then it must be a digger of some kind. A mole? A worm? Oh, don't tell me it's a wolverine! I hate dealing with wolverines! They have no manners what so ever!" he paused. "Although, if it _is_ a wolverine, I'd want to know how you succeeded catching one. I mean, that is very difficult thing to do."

It seemed that Eugene Grimmanuel wasn't really listening to him. It wasn't new; it happened to him all the time, and for some reason mostly when listening would've been really important. Or maybe he only noticed it then. Anyway, in this case, however, the Doctor was pretty sure Eugene Grimmanuel didn't listen to him because he was drunk.

"Let me take this", he said and took the wineglass from his hand.

"Ah, Doctor", Eugene Grimmanuel said, smiling smoothly and in a way that would probably make Jack jump out of his pants. Why wasn't Jack here when he needed him? And he rarely thought of that. "Taking me upstairs already?"

"Um. No. This is your party, your... Highness. You must stay here and please your guests."

"Hmm. Pity."

The Doctor was so ready to give up on getting information from this man and go and find Rose and Donna. He even opened his mouth to excuse himself.

"The Virus isn't a wolverine", Eugene Grimmanuel said suddenly. "Nor a worm. Nor a mole."

"Yeah? What is it then?"

The black and white man smiled and leaned closer.

"It's an antlion."

#####

Meanwhile Rose had found out the same answer by questioning the other quests. She was heading outside, followed by Donna, who did everything in her power to make Rose turn and go to the Doctor. But Rose wasn't listening. The fear for the baby from the same morning had turned upside-down and turned into stubbornness. She didn't want to be scared for the rest of her very long life for the unborn baby and then for the growing child. And she needed to prove that she wasn't scared. She knew it was stupid but she pushed the though aside.

"He's busy", Rose said calmly. "He needs to keep that Eugene-guy from exploding the city."

"But he'll know what to do! We don't even know what an 'antlion' is!"

"Well, let's ask!" Rose said smiling. She took her phone out and dialled a number.

"It's about a time for you to call!" Jack's voice carried from the other side of the line. "Haven't heard of you since the day the Master died!"

Rose hadn't expected it to feel so bad as she hadn't thought about the Master so much lately. She shook it off; now wasn't the time to mourn.

"Yeah, you know, being busy."

"I bet you've been", Jack said and Rose could almost see him winking. She laughed.

"Jack!"

Jack laughed as well.

"Okay, I get it. What happens in the bedroom, stays in the bedroom."

"Anyway", Rose said, still giggling. "I need a favour."

"Anything for my favourite girl."

"Could you find out what an 'antlion' is?"

"Antlion?" Jack repeated. Rose heard him write something on his computer. "It's an insect."

"That looks like a lion?" Rose asked. Jack chuckled.

"No. Myrmeleontidaes", Jack said, and as Rose lifted her eyebrows and didn't say a word, Jack continued. "Kind of like dragonflies but not dragonflies. They are best known as larvaes, as they dig pits to trap ants and eat them."

"Sounds wonderful", Rose said drily.

"You're fighting against an antlion?"

"Seems like it."

"But aren't they kind of... small?" Jack asked.

"Haven't seen it. But I did see a man-sized wasp just couple of days ago."

Jack laughed again.

"Point taken. Good luck!"

"You too! Speak to you soon!"

She hung up and turned to Donna.

"We need to find some sand."

#####

The Doctor, who had given Eugene Grimmanuel one more chance to speak, was getting frustrated again. After finding out the Virus was an antlion, the Doctor lost his excitement. An antlion. Great, that's what he was missing, a gigantic, escaped and probably hungry antlion! He tried to get some more information, but Eugene Grimmanuel had, once again, lost his interest in talking about it. He wasn't going to tell the Doctor where he had been keeping the Virus nor where he was now keeping the explosives. He turned to leave and that's when a running ginger hit him on the side with her whole weight, causing them both to fall.

"What did you do that for?" the Doctor asked, rubbing the back of his head. "Is slapping out of fashion?"

"Shut up, Spaceman!" Donna snapped. "There's no time for that!"

"What do you mean? Where's Rose?"

"We went to find the Virus and found it, or it found us, I'm not sure, and there was a whole and Rose fell into it! Or actually the whole appeared under her, but it doesn't matter, because then there was the Virus and it's huge and I think it's going to eat her so we have to go!"

The Doctor, who had a hard time keeping up with Donna's ramble, followed the already running woman out of the castle and through the city.

"Why did you go without me?" he asked.

"I told her you wouldn't like it, but she didn't care!"

Of course she didn't, the Doctor thought. How many times had he told her not to wander off? And how many times had she wandered off anyway? Rose never listened to what he was saying, especially not when it was important. But on the other hand, almost every time when she had ignored his warnings and rules, she had ended up saving his life. Like when he had sent her home from the Game Station and she had risked her life to save his. How many times would he have died if it hadn't been for that disobedient girl? He followed Donna out of the City of Grimm to the desert. He focused on his superior Time Lord hearing and heard a distant voice calling his name.

#####

The sand was slippery and ran down under her. Rose's hands and feet slipped when she tried to get up. The Virus under her roared.

"Doctor!" she cried, trying to get a hold of the walls.

"Rose!"

His face came to view. Rose almost started to cry when he saw him. "Give me your hand!" he reached down, but she was too far away. "Donna! Hold on to my legs!"

Donna did as she was told so the Doctor was able to move further down to the hole. Rose's fingers touched his, slipped and she slid a couple of inches further downwards. She could smell the Virus' breath.

"Rose", the Doctor said. He was speaking in a soft, calm voice. "You need to calm down. You can't get up if you're rushing. Just move your other leg, slowly! And then your other hand. Just like that."

Rose tried to do what he told her to. He was stretching his hand towards her as far as he could. Rose reached towards it. Their fingers touched, she got a hold of his hand, but hers was so sweaty it slipped again.

"Doctor!"

She slid down again, not far, but she was closer to the Virus once again. What would happen to the baby if the Bad Wolf took control now?

"You need to get a bit higher so I can get a hold of your wrist", the Doctor said. Rose couldn't understand how he was able to be so calm. She started to climb up again. When she finally got her fingers around the Doctor's wrist and felt his wrap around hers, she closed her eyes and sighed.

"Now, come on!" the Doctor said. He pulled, Donna helped and Rose pushed herself upwards, over the edge and to the solid ground. She rolled to her back and tried to breathe evenly, but the sobs were too close under the surface of her composure. She covered her face with her dirty hands. What was wrong with her? Why was she crying? And why didn't the Bad Wolf help her? It wasn't like she wanted her to, but still... she could've died... The Doctor pulled her into a hug.

"It's okay", he said. "You're safe now. You and the baby, you're both safe."

"That was... awful", she stuttered. "How can anyone... have that as a... pet."

She felt him let her go and moved her hands to see where he was going. He peeked over the edge.

"I've seen stranger things", he said.

Rose climbed to her feet. Donna went to the Doctor.

"What're we gonna do?" she asked. "I mean... we can't leave it here to eat people."

"No, we can't", the Doctor admitted. "We're gonna lock it into the TARDIS and take it somewhere where it doesn't cause any trouble. Issa Landaros for example. There's other large insects as well."

Rose shivered at the thought of a planet full of insects that big.

"What about that Grimmanuel fellow?" Donna asked. "It's his pet, don't you think we should tell him we're going to take it away? So he would at least stop the explosions?"

"Hmm?" the Doctor said and turned to the girls. "No", he said. "No no no. No. I am not going to speak to him again!"

#####

Later they were lying on the bed and Rose asked the Doctor to tell a story.

"I'm out of stories", the Doctor said.

"Oh, come on! You've been traveling for centuries! There must be thousands of stories you haven't told me!"

He smiled at her.

"It's your turn. Tell me a story. About Pete's World."

Rose snorted at the name. The Doctor rolled to his side and looked at her eagerly.

"Fine", she laughed. "Back in... Pete's World", she began. "When everything was still fine, with the stars I mean, Jake set me up on a date."

The Doctor arched a bow.

"Really? You want to tell me about your _date_?"

"Oh, trust me, you want to hear about these dates."

The Doctor sighed and gestured her to go on.

"They really did try everything to get me _back on board_ like Jake used to say", Rose told to the Doctor, just to tease him. "Okay, Mickey didn't. Or Mum", she mused. "That was a bit weird, because you'd think that Mum would be the first one to set me up. She only said that she was certain that I'd find my way back to here. And back then we weren't really even trying. Other people than me I mean", she paused. "Anyway. Jake took me to this pub to meet his boyfriend's roommate's studybuddy. I should've known it was a bad idea just because Jake didn't really even know this guy. He was called Adam..."

The Doctor's eyebrowes shot up.

"Is this going where I think it's going?"

"I'm afraid so."

"No", the Doctor said. A grin spread on his face. "No way!" he started to laugh.

"To Adam's defence, he wasn't working for Van Statten in Pete's World. He wasn't such an idiot as our Adam."

"Don't say 'our Adam'. That creeps me out. Just thinking of him -"

"Yeah, yeah, your big, amazing Time Lordiness couldn't stand him because I had a childish crush on his pretty face."

The Doctor huffed and turned his face away from Rose. She laughed and moved closer, kissing his temple.

"He was still an idiot, though. When I told him I worked for Torchwood, he asked if that was a pub. To get through that date was the most uncomfortable thing I have ever done. And him not understanding a hint didn't really help. He even said that he had a great time and wanted to see me again."

"Why didn't you use that clever trick you girls use in all the movies?"

"What, climb out of the ladies' room's window?"

"Or that", the Doctor said. "But I meant the emergency call. You know, ask someone to call you and tell your date that your mother has been in an accident or something."

"Because, Doctor, I have _manners_."

They fell into a delicious silence.

"I meant it, though", he said suddenly. "What I said."

"What you said?" Rose repeated absentmindedly.

"When I said we should get married", he said. "I meant it."

She stared at him and her heart started to beat faster.

"What?"

"And that's how you answered the last time", he said. "You blame me for not calling you me girlfriend and when I propose, you say 'what?', and not just once, but twice!"

"Shut up", Rose said. "What?" she said again and the Doctor laughed.

"Is that really so unreal?"

"Yeah!"

"Well?"

"And you're serious?" she asked. "You're not gonna get cold feet, call it back and send me away?"

"Well, I think I need to make you an honourable woman some day anyway..."

Rose punched him.

"I'm not kidding!"

He grinned and climbed up to his knees on the bed the best he could, took Rose's hand into his and looked her in the eye.

"Rose Marion Tyler", he said softly. His thumb drew circles on her palm. She felt shivers run up her spine.

"Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

#####

 **A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to one of the best authors in the world: Tove Jansson. If you want to know why, just google 'Moomin Antlion' and you'll know. I was more scared of him than I ever was of The Groke.


	19. Hello, Rosie

**A/N:** Hello, readers! Guess what! I'm an auntie now! My beautiful little nephew was born yestarday. Just wanter you to know. So to celebrate this, I updated. Tell me what you thought. I know, I know, there isn't much new in this story. But something's gonna happen soon. Just wait for it.

 **Disclaimer:** The usual.

 **Hello, Rosie**

"Rose?" he whispered as he turned around to her in bed. She was lying on her side, her back to him. He wrapped his arm around her and moved closer. "Rose? Are you sleeping?"

"Mmh", was her answer, and she shifted a bit.

"Rose?" he whispered again, kissing her shoulder and moving up her neck to her jawline and temple. "You sure you're sleeping?"

She didn't answer and even though she did her best to pretend to be sleeping, the Doctor knew that she really wasn't because she blushed and her body temperature rose a bit. He smiled against her hot cheek.

"Rose?"

"Leave me alone", she muttered, but there was a smile in her voice.

"Come on, we're engaged. You're gonna spent the first day of our engagement in bed?"

She turned on her back to face him, and he didn't give her a change to answer before he kissed her. She laughed into his mouth.

"Could", she said between the kisses, putting her hands on his neck. "At least that would be a harmless and most non-dangerous and non-troubled way to celebrate it."

"Yeah", he answered. "But that wouldn't really be us, would it?" The pause was a bit longer this time. "First time we met? Nestene invasion. First trip? End of the Earth and our lovely friend Cassandra."

Rose giggled. "Wonder why I fell for you, you come with trouble on your heels."

"Yeah, but you like trouble. And I like trouble. So what would our engagement party be without it?"

"Guess you're right", she said. "Anyone we should invite? Besides Donna, that is. Martha? Sarah-Jane?" He murmured his approval against her collarbones. "Jack!" she said joyfully and his head popped up and he frowned.

"Jack? Are you seriously thinking about Jack right now?"

Rose laughed and sat up, kissing him one more time before climbing up from the bed to take a shower.

#####

She came out from the bathroom wearing a warm and heavy robe and drying her hair with the towel. To sit in front of the mirror she needed to move aside her clothes from the day before. Something felt hot in the pocket of the jeans and she frowned. There shouldn't be anything weird in that pocket. She dug out the psychic paper and almost dropped it as it burnt her fingers. Her frown deepened and she opened it.

'The Library. Come as soon as you can. XO'

Rose read it three times. She felt really confused and kind of excited at the same time. She had never received a message on her psychic paper before.

"Rose? Are you ready to go? I've located everyone you wanted to invite", the Doctor stepped into the room and noticed Rose was still in her robe. "Okay. Not ready", he said.

"I got a message", Rose said, showing the paper to the Doctor.

"You what? Why would anyone send you a message?"

"Thanks a lot", Rose said drily.

"No. I mean, no one ever has sent you one. You haven't even had the paper that long."

Rose shrugged and let the Doctor read the message.

"Maybe they tried you first but you were too busy."

"Ooh! The Library!" the Doctor said. The wonder in his voice turned into excitement. "I love that place!"

"Why would anyone want us to go to a library?" Rose wondered.

"Not 'a' library. _The_ Library", the Doctor corrected.

"I don't care if it has a defining article or not. Why library?"

"Why are we ever asked to come anywhere?"

"But what bad could happen in a _library_?"

"Well, we better go and see, don't we?" the Doctor said. He grinned happily and gave Rose quite a breathless and quick kiss. "Now get dressed so we can get on our way!"

#####

They stepped out of the TARDIS into a large, empty hall.

"Books!" the Doctor said happily. "People never really stop loving books!"

"I thought we were going to celebrate your engagement", Donna pointed out.

"Fifty first century", the Doctor continued, not caring about Donna's words as he pulled Rose along with him. "By now you've got holovids, direct to brain downloads, fiction mist, but you need the smell. The smell of books. Deep breath", he said and took one. Rose followed his example. The air smelled... well, of books. And a bit of wax and the dry smell that came with air-conditioning. She looked around. There was no one to be seen. And no sound to be heard. It was so quiet she could hear her own heartbeat. She may not have spent that much time in libraries, but this was spooky.

"You think we're here because it's so silent?" she asked.

"What?" the Doctor said, looking at Rose. "Oh", he realised. "It is quiet", he turned to Donna and grabbed a book from her hands. "Spoilers", he warned and put it away. Donna rolled her eyes at him.

"Aren't libraries always silent?" she asked.

"Yeah", the Doctor said. "But it's the whole planet."

"Maybe it's Sunday", Donna suggested. The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and went to the nearest panel on the wall.

"No, I never land on Sundays. Sundays are boring."

"Well, maybe everyone's really, really quiet", Donna continued.

"Yeah, maybe", the Doctor said and he started to sound a bit worried. "But they'd still show up on the system."

"So we are in a... sorry, _the_ Library where there should be people but there aren't?" Rose asked. "Is it like they're all disappeared?"

"Now that's interesting", said the Doctor, and Rose wasn't at all sure if he had even been listening.

"What?" she and Donna asked in unison.

"Scanning for life forms. If I do a scan looking for your basic humanoids –you know, your book readers, few limbs and a face –, apart from us, I get nothing. Zippo, nada. See?" he stepped aside to show the screen to Rose and Donna. It read that there were only three lifeforms there. "Nobody home. But if I widen the parameters to any kind of life..." there popped a large number with several zeros on the screen.  
"A million million. Gives up after that", the Doctor muttered. "A million million."

"But there's nothing here", Donna said concerned. "There's no one."

"And not a sound. A million million life forms, and silence in the library."

They were all silent for a while. Rose thought about the fact that someone had asked them to come here. Had they been here as well and then disappeared? Or were they yet to come? Had they left already? How ever it was, Rose wished they had told them why they had asked them to come and why it was so silent in here.

"But there's no one here", Donna said again, like saying it more than once would turn it easier to understand. "There's just books. I mean, it's not the books, is it? I mean, it can't be the books, can it? I mean, books can't be alive."

All three of them turned to look at the book Donna had taken just a moment ago, and all three of them reached for it at the same time.

"Welcome!"

They all jumped. The Doctor looked rather ashamed.

"That came from over there", said Donna, sounding just as ashamed.

"Yeah."

They returned to the hall. There was a sculpture by the desk that turned toward them. Rose fought against the urge to scream. The sculpture had the face of a woman, a bit like all those years ago when a street stone had had the face of Ursula Blake.

"I am Courtesy Node 710/aqua", the face said with a flat voice. "Please enjoy the Library and respect the personal access codes of all your fellow readers, regardless of species or hygiene taboo."

"That face, it looks real", Donna said. Rose looked at her. She looked shocked and a bit disgusted. Just like she felt.

"Yeah, don't worry about it", the Doctor said.

"Is it normal?" Rose said. "So it's not why we are here?"

"No", the Doctor said. "It's fine. It's like donating an organ."

"What?"

"Additional", the Node said. "There follows a brief message from the Head Librarian for your urgent attention. It has been edited for tone and content by a Felman Lux Automated Decency Filter. Message follows. Run. For God's sake, run. No way is safe. The Library has sealed itself, we can't. Oh, they're here. Argh. Slarg. Snick. Message ends. Please switch off your mobile comm units for the comfort of other readers."

She spoke with the same monotonous voice, and maybe it was because of this that Rose felt shivers run up her spine.

"So that's why we're here", the Doctor muttered. "Any other messages, same date stamp?"

"One additional message", the face answered." "This message carries a Felman Lux coherency warning of 5-0-11."

"Yeah, yeah, fine, fine, fine. Just play it."

"Message follows. Count the shadows. For God's sake, remember, if you want to live, count the shadows. Message ends."

A short silence followed the end of the message. Rose automatically stepped closer to the Doctor and took his hand into hers.

"Stay out of the shadows", the Doctor said, pulling Rose even closer to him.

"Why, what's in the shadows?" Donna asked. Rose tried to find the same answer in his mind, but there wasn't one. Instead there was a lot of worry. It was never a good sign if the Doctor was this worried. Rose sent him a silent reassurance that they were all safe and fine, but it didn't seem to help. They started to walk down a corridor.

"So... why are we here again?" Donna asked. "Rose seems to know. It'd be a good time to tell me as well."

Rose sighed and took out her psychic paper, showing it to Donna. She read it.

"What do you think?" the Doctor asked. "Cry for help?"

"Cry for help", Donna repeated showing the paper to the Doctor. "With a kiss?"

"And a hug", the Doctor said quickly. "O is for a hug. That's what people do in your time. Xs and Os as kisses and hugs. You know. Like to a good friend. Or to people who read your blog. Nothing strange in kisses and hugs!" he looked at Rose like asking her to help him.

"I wouldn't be worried about that", Rose said. "Men don't use Xs and Os at the end of any message."

"Who's it from?" Donna asked.

"No idea."

The Doctor's grip of Rose's hand became tighter.

"Girls", he said. He rarely if ever used that kind of a term for them. Rose followed her gaze and her heart jumped. The lights in the corridor behind them were going out.

"What's happening?" Donna asked.

"Run!"

They didn't need to be asked twice. With the Doctor leading their little group, they ran through the corridor to the nearest door. It was locked and while the Doctor tried to sonic it open, the darkness came closer.

"Come on", the Doctor groaned.

"What, is it locked?" Donna shouted.

"Jammed. The wood's warped."

"Well, sonic it. Use the thingy!"

"I can't, it's wood!"

"What, it doesn't do wood?"

Rose felt the desperation. They didn't have much time. And whatever that was in the shadows, it sure wasn't good.

"Hang on, hang on", the Doctor breathed. "I can vibrate the molecules, fry the bindings. I can shatterline the interface."

"Oh, get out of the way!" Donna shouted. They pulled away and Donna kicked the door in. All three of them stumbled in and closed the door, and the Doctor jammed it closed with a pile of books. Rose was sure that a door wouldn't keep whatever it was away. She turned around, ready to keep running, and saw a sphere. For a split second she thought about the Master and the spheres during the year that never was.

"Oh. Hello" the Doctor said, and Rose realised it wasn't the same sphere. Her hammering heart started to settle. "Sorry to burst in on you like this. Okay if we stop here for a bit?"

The sphere fell to the ground.

"What is it?" Donna asked. She came closer and kneeled next to the Doctor to look at the sphere. Rose looked around. The room they had arrived in was high. It was circular and there was a little gift shop. She smiled briefly, thinking of the Doctor's joy at the little shops in different places.

"Security camera. Switched itself off", the Doctor muttered. Rose crossed the room. "Stay in the light, Rose!" the Doctor reminded her. She heard him sonicking the camera and chatting with Donna. She looked at one of the shadows and she had a sudden urge to try it, just with her hand. What harm could that really do? It was just a shadow...

"Gotcha!" the Doctor's exclaim came from across the room. Rose pulled her hand away feeling guilty. She turned around to face another sculpture. This one had the face of a man.

"Sorry. Hello", she greeted. These things still creeped her out. "What's in the shadows?"

"Count the shadows", the Node said.

"Yeah, I got that already..."

"What do you mean, the others?" Donna's voice carried to her. She stood up and came over to Rose and the sculpture. "What does it mean, the others?"

"What 'others'"? Rose asked.

"That's what that thing said", Donna answered, pointing at the sphere on the floor. "It said 'the others are coming."

Rose frowned at the sphere and stepped further away from the sculpture and the Doctor quickly took a hold of her waist, pulling her to him. "What?"

"The shadow", he said. "There's a shadow. Do you see anything that's casting it?"

Rose looked at the shadow and followed it to the dark side of the room. She frowned.

"Oh, I'm thick! Look at me; I'm old and thick. Head's too full of stuff. I need a bigger head!"

Rose had no idea where this outburst came from. She only noticed that the lights in the near corridor were going out. Okay, maybe it would be a bad idea to touch one of the shadows just to know what would happen.

"That shadow", Donna said suddenly. "It's gone."

"We need to get back to the TARDIS", the Doctor said. He sounded so worried that Rose started to worry as well.

"Is it that bad?" she asked.

"Yeah. That shadow hasn't gone. It's moved."

The Node started to speak loudly and suddenly.

"Reminder. The Library has been breached. Others are coming. Reminder. The Library has been breached. Others are coming. Reminder. The Library has been breached..."

A door behind them was blown off its hinges. The Doctor pulled Rose behind his back as six figures dressed in spacesuits entered. The leader came towards them. They couldn't see their face but it was obvious they looked at the Doctor before passing him. He whirled around as they stopped in front of Rose and cleared the darkened visor. It was a woman and she gave Rose a wide, happy smile.

"Hello, Rosie."

For a moment Rose couldn't speak. How did she know her name? And why did she call her 'Rosie'?

"Get out", the Doctor said immediately.

"Doctor..." Rose sighed.

"All of you", he kept going, not minding about Rose. "Turn around, get back in your rocket and fly away. Tell your grandchildren you came to the Library and lived. They won't believe you."

The woman didn't seem to mind his words.

"Pop your helmets, everyone. We've got breathers."

She took it off, revealing very curly, light brown hair.

"How do you know they're not androids?" asked one of the six, a young girl with black hair.

"Because I've dated androids. They're rubbish", the woman said.

"Who is this?" a short-haired man asked. "You said we were the only expedition. I paid for exclusives."

"I lied", the woman smiled. "I'm always lying. Bound to be others."

"Miss Evangelista", the man said. "I want to see the contracts."

The black-haired girl went for a look for them.

"You came through the north door, yeah?" the woman asked. "How was that, much damage?"

Rose just stared at her. What? Who? How? Endless questions flew around her head and she didn't understand what was going on.

"Please, just leave", the Doctor said. "I'm asking you seriously and properly, just leave", he paused for a second. "Hang on. Did you say expedition?"

"My expedition", the man said proudly. "I funded it."

"Oh, you're not, are you?" the Doctor groaned, forgetting his urge to get them out now that he had found something to mock them about. "Tell me you're not archaeologists."

"Got a problem with archaeologists?" the woman asked titling her head and rolled her eyes at Rose.

"I'm a time traveller. I point and laugh at archaeologists", the Doctor taunted.

"Ah. Professor River Song, archaeologist."

She offered him her hand, a laugh on her lips.

"River Song, lovely name", the Doctor said, grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around to the door they had come from. "As you're leaving, and you're leaving now, you need to send up a quarantine beacon. Code-wall the planet, the whole planet. Nobody comes here, not ever again. Not one living thing, not here, not ever. Stop right there", he said, grabbing another woman by the shoulder before she could step in a shadow. "What's your name?"

"Anita."

"Anita, stay out of the shadows. Not a foot, not a finger in the shadows till you're safely back in your ship. Goes for all of you. Stay in the light. Find a nice, bright spot and just stand. If you understand me, look very, very scared", he cut his babble, looking around. "No, bit more scared than that", he said, his frustration starting to steam. Still there was no change. That River woman was even smiling. "Okay, do for now. You. Who are you?"

He pointed a young man with an afro.

"Er, Dave."

"Okay, Dave..."

"Oh, well, Other Dave, because that's Proper Dave the pilot, he was the first Dave, so when we -", the man with the afro stuttered.

The Doctor didn't stay to listen but guided him to the doorway through which they had entered. Rose's anxiety grew. They were trapped, surrounded by shadows that were a threat, but no one seemed to know why. Expect for the Doctor, who didn't tell them anything. The Doctor came back, telling them to find another way out.

"We're not looking for a way out", the man with short hair said. "Miss Evangelista?"

She came over to the three of them, taking out papers from her bag.

"I'm Mister Lux's personal... everything", she said. "You need to sign these contracts agreeing that your individual experiences inside the Library are the intellectual property of the Felman Lux Corporation."

Rose lifted her eyebrows.

"Right, give it here", the Doctor said. Rose took hers, giving a warm smile to the girl before shooting one much worse at Lux. Donna thanked the girl with a quite sarcastic tone. As they had their contracts, they all tore them up.

"My family built this library", Lux argued. "I have rights."

"You have a mouth that won't stop", River said. She turned to the Doctor. "You think there's danger here?"

"Something came to this library and killed everything in it", the Doctor said. Rose could sense that he was near snapping. "Killed a whole world. Danger? Could be."

"Doctor", Rose said calmly and reached for his hand. He looked guiltily at her before taking it. He was all locked up, and that concerned Rose more than anything else. He didn't want her to know how worried he was. That hardly ever happened.

"That was a hundred years ago", River reasoned. "The Library's been silent for a hundred years. Whatever came here's long dead."

"Bet your life?" the Doctor challenged. She smiled.

"With you? Always. If Rose says it though..."

"Sorry?" Rose said. "Why would -"

"What are you doing?" Lux said in a loud voice, making everyone stop whatever they were doing and turn to look at Other Dave, whom Lux was speaking to.

"He said seal the door", Other Dave said unsurely. The Doctor dropped Rose's hand and asked for a torch.

"You're taking orders from him?" asked Lux.

"Yeah, you better get used to that", Rose said. "No one's gonna listen to you as long as he's around."

Too surprised to argue, Lux gave his torch to the Doctor, who flashed it into the dark corner of the room. Rose moved closer to him and narrowed her eyes to see better. It was like the corner was a lot darker than other parts of the room.

"Almost every species in the universe has an irrational fear of the dark", the Doctor muttered. "But they're wrong, because it's not irrational. It's Vashta Nerada."

"What's Vashta Nerada?" Donna asked.

"It's what's in the dark. It's what's always in the dark..."

The back of Rose's hand brushed against the Doctor's and she got a glimpse of his fear. And it wasn't a normal kind of fear, not the one he felt when a dangerous monster chased them, which was always mixed with excitement. It was pure and horrified fear, and Rose reacted by pulling her hand away. She wasn't ready to feel fear so strong from the man who so rarely was scared at all, not even when he should be.

"Lights!" he exclaimed. "That's what we need, lights. You got lights?"

He rushed back to the group.

"What for?" River asked. She looked at Rose and frowned lightly. "What's going on?" she asked her, and Rose opened her mouth but nothing came out. The Doctor's fear haunted her in her mind. This would be bad. Worse; this would be deadly. Anyone could die, she realised. Anyone could... She touched her stomach and swallowed.

"Form a circle", the Doctor advised the people to settle their torches. "Safe area. Big as you can, lights pointing out."

River turned her gaze away from Rose.

"Oi. Do as he says", she snapped. People started to move, at least everyone but Lux.

"You're not listening to this man?" he asked.

"Apparently I am", River said. "Anita, unpack the lights", she started to give out commands. "Other Dave, make sure the door's secure, then help Anita. Mister Lux, put your helmet back on, block the visor. Proper Dave, find an active terminal. I want you to access the library database. See what you can find about what happened here a hundred years ago. Pretty boy, do whatever you think needs to be done. Rosie, with me."

River was obviously used to giving orders. The Doctor and Rose shared a look before he did as he was asked and she went to the other woman. She was pulling things out of her bag. One of them was a blue diary.

"Thanks", River said without looking at her. She followed her actions for a moment.

"For what?" she asked.

"The usual. For coming when I call", she said. Oh, Rose realised, so this was the woman who had sent her that message to her psychic paper.

"The usual?" she asked. "You mean you do this often?"

"You're doing a very good job, acting like you don't know me. I'm assuming there's a reason", she said, still not looking at her.

"Yeah", Rose said.

"Oh, come on Rosie", she laughed. "Stop the act, no one sees or hears anything."

"And why do you call me Rosie?" Rose said a bit coldly. "There's only one person in the universe who's allowed to call me that."

"Two", River corrected. "Jack and me."

Suddenly her head snapped up. Rose could see fear growing in her eyes.

"Please tell me you're joking", she said and her voice was leaking sadness. She leaned a bit closer, as if to see her better. Rose stared back.

"Please tell me you know who I am."

"I'm sorry", she said because she felt like she needed to be sorry. It felt like it meant the world to this woman that Rose knew who she was.

"And... and the Doctor?" she whispered. "Does he...?"

Rose shook her head slightly. River swallowed. Rose laid her hand on hers and smiled.

"Hey", she said warmly. "Now I do. I mean, we've met you now, yeah?"

River blinked and gave her an unsure smile.

"Yeah", she muttered. A loud ringing sound made them turn. It was a familiar sound and Rose reached towards her pocket before understanding that her phone didn't even ring like that.

"Sorry, that was me", Dave said, "trying to get through into the security protocols. I seem to have set something off. What is that? Is that an alarm?"

"No", Rose said. "It's a phone."

"I'm trying to call up the data core, but it's not responding. Just that noise."

"But it's a phone..." Donna muttered.

"Let me try something", the Doctor said. Dave moved aside. Rose went closer to see what he was doing.

"Okay, doesn't like that. Let's try something else..."

On the screen appeared a small girl.

"Hello?" the Doctor said.

"Hello", the girl answered. "Are you in my television?"

The Doctor looked around and back to the screen.

"Well, no, I'm, I'm sort of in space. Er, I was trying to call up the data core of a triple-grid security processor."

"She's not gonna understand that", Rose muttered.

"Don't underestimate the smartness of kids, Rose."

"Would you like to speak to my Dad?" the girl asked.

"Dad or your Mum. That'd be lovely", the Doctor smiled.

"I know you", the girl said suddenly. "You're in my library."

"Your library?" the Doctor asked, surprised.

"The Library's never been on television before. What have you done?"

"Er, well, I just rerouted the interface..."

The girl disappeared and the cartoon appeared.

"What happened?" Rose asked. "Who was that?" she started to get worried. "Is she okay? If this is her library... I mean, do you think she's in here? Or in danger?"

The Doctor tried to sonic the terminal with zero result. He was stressed and Rose wasn't really helping, so she stepped aside.

"I need another terminal", he said. "Keep working on those lights. We need those lights!"

"You heard him, people. Let there be light!" River said.

The Doctor moved to the next terminal and tried to sonic it. Donna was speaking with Miss Evangelista. Rose moved to River.

"How do you know us?" she asked. River looked at her and pressed her lips thightly together. Rose smiled a bit. "Yeah, I get it. You can't tell. Living with a time traveler..."

"At least you're at the same time period as him", River mused. Books started to fly off the shelves.

"What's that?" the Doctor said loudly. He sounded stressed. "I didn't do that. Did you do that?" he shot an angry glare at Dave.

"Not me", he answered. The Doctor turned back to the screen.

"What's CAL?" he asked. The books stopped flying. Rose saw Lux blushing slightly, excused herself and went to him.

"You know what's going on", she said.

"You didn't sign the contracts", he answered stubbornly.

"Oh, come on! We're in a spooky library where books are flying off the shelves by themselves and there're dangerous shadows we can't touch all over the place and you're not telling us important information because we didn't sign a contract?"

Books started to fly around again.

"Is it about that girl?" Rose asked.

"But who is the little girl?" the Doctor asked. "What's she got to do with this place? How does the data core work? What's the principle? What's CAL?"

"Ask him", Rose said, pointing at Lux. The Doctor followed her advice.

"CAL, what is it?"

"Sorry, you didn't sign your personal experience contracts", Lux said again.

"Mister Lux. Right now, you're in more danger than you've ever been in your whole life", said the Doctor, who had already lost his patience and was being rude and snappy. "And you're protecting a patent?"

"I'm protecting my family's pride", Lux answered. The Doctor straightened his back and stepped closer.

"Well, funny thing, Mister Lux. I don't want to see everyone in this room dead because some idiot thinks his pride is more important", he growled.

"Rudeness isn't gonna help us, Doctor", Rose said silently. River stepped forward.

"Then why don't you sign his contract?" she asked. The Doctor and Rose looked at her, Rose a bit surprised. River grinned. "I didn't either", she laughed. "I'm getting worse than you two..."

The Doctor frowned, opened his mouth to speak, but Rose shook her head at him. He swallowed the question, just, and started to speak again.

"Okay, okay, okay. Let's start at the beginning", he said. "What happened here? On the actual day, a hundred years ago, what physically happened?"

"There was a message from the Library", River told them. "Just one. The lights are going out. Then the computer sealed the planet, and there was nothing for a hundred years."

"It's taken three generations of my family just to decode the seals and get back in", Lux said.

"Er, excuse me?" Evangelista said with a small voice and everyone ignored her.

"There was one other thing in the last message", River said.

"That's confidential!"

"I trust these two with my life, with everything."

"You've only just met them!" Lux argued.

"No, they're only just met me!"

"Er, this might be important, actually", Evangelista said again and was ignored, again.

"This is a data extract that came with the message", River said, showing it to the Doctor from the screen.

"Four thousand and twenty-two saved. No survivors", the Doctor read.

"Four thousand and twenty-two. That's the exact number of people who were in the library when the planet was sealed", River said silently.

"But how can four thousand and twenty-two people have been saved if there were no survivors?" Donna asked. Rose read the message again. It was like something was off. She read it for the third time, word by word. Saved, she realised. Saved, why would anyone say saved? Documents and pictured were saved on computer. Peoples were safe. A high scream cut the air and Rose looked up.

"Was that the girl?" she asked, immediately thinking of the child. She looked around and saw that there were only five people in astronaut suits left. "Who's missing?" she asked. All of them followed the Doctor through the room and towards an open door. Rose stopped when her eyes found a skeleton. Shock and fear rushed up to her.

"Everybody, careful. Stay in the light", the Doctor said in a tense voice.

"You keep saying that. I don't see the point", Dave muttered.

"Who screamed?" the Doctor asked.

"Miss Evangelista", Rose said at the same time with Dave. She blinked her eyes and turned them away from the skeleton. It was scary enough to be in a library where books flew off shelves and where the shadows seemed to be deadly. But a skeleton?

"Where is she?" the Doctor asked. River cleared her throat and spoke to the intercom in her suit.

"Miss Evangelista, please state your current –"

Her words echoed in the room and Rose's eyes snapped back to the skeleton. A horrible feeling filled her. She was pretty sure that they were all looking at the reason to stay out of the shadows.

"Please state your current position", River said and swallowed. She stepped nearer to the skeleton and touched the collar.

"It's her", she whispered. "It's Miss Evangelista."

Rose reached for the Doctor's hand and he took it, squeezing her fingers comfortingly. They should've listened to her when she told them that she had found something. Maybe then they would have been able to stop this from happening. The Doctor still kept his mind locked away from her, but she still sent him as much courage and love as she could. She felt him taking it all gratefully, then felt a bit of shame that wasn't her own and a wave of love from him addressed to her.

"We heard her scream a few seconds ago", Anita said, voice shaking. "What could do that to a person in a few seconds?"

"It took a lot less than a few seconds", the Doctor said darkly.

"What did?"

Before anyone could answer, Miss Evangelista's shaky voice made them look at the skeleton. All of them were scared and worried.

"Hello?"

"Er, I'm sorry, everyone", River said silently. "Er, this isn't going to be pleasant. She's ghosting."

"She's what?" Donna asked, voice shaking.

"Hello? Excuse me. I'm sorry. Hello? Excuse me."

"That's, that's her, that's Miss Evangelista", Donna said. Her eyes were wide and she looked a bit scared but also very sad. Rose felt sorry for her. She felt sorry for Miss Evangelista, too. She felt guilty for neglecting her. Why had she done that? It wasn't like her. And when she had screamed, Rose had thought of the child instead. Why had she been so stupid?

"I don't want to sound horrible, but couldn't we just... you know?" Dave asked.

"This is her last moment", River said calmly. "No, we can't. A little respect, thank you."

Rose wondered how often things like this happened to River. And how a person who faced things like these often could be so close to her and the Doctor. So close that she'd let her call her 'Rosie'.

"Sorry, where am I? Excuse me?"

Miss Evangelista's voice was insecure. Rose felt a bit sick. How awful it must be to Miss Evangelista, to be there and still not be there.

"But that's Miss Evangelista..." Donna muttered.

"It's a data ghost", River said. She sounded very professional and calm. Rose looked at her and noticed that in reality she was very upset.

"She'll be gone in a moment. Miss Evangelista", she said raising her voice, "you're fine. Just relax. We'll be with you presently."

"What's a data ghost?" Donna asked.

"There's a neural relay in the communicator. Lets you send thought mail. That's it there. Those green lights. Sometimes it can hold an impression of a living consciousness for a short time after death. Like an afterimage..." the Doctor told them. They all were silent for a while.

"My grandfather lasted a day", Anita said. "Kept talking about his shoelaces."

"She's in there", Donna muttered. Rose reached over to her with her free hand and she took it without hesitation. Her fingers were cold and Rose wished she could send her comfort as well.

"I can't see. I can't. Where am I?"

"She's just brain waves now. The pattern won't hold for long", Dave muttered.

"Could you all just... be quiet?" Rose said. "Reasoning doesn't help. It's... awful."

"Where's that woman? The nice woman. Is she there?" Miss Evangelista asked suddenly.

"What woman?" Lux asked. Donna raised her head, tears were glimmering in her eyes.

"She means... I think she means me", she whispered.

"Is she there? The nice woman."

"Yes, she's here. Hang on", River said and turned to Donna. "Go ahead. She can hear you."

"Hello? Are you there?"

Donna couldn't move or speak. She just stared in front of her.

"Help her", the Doctor muttered. Rose pulled warmly at her hand to encourage her.

"She's dead", Donna muttered with a broken voice.

"Yeah. Help her."

"Hello? Is that the nice woman?"

"Yeah", Donna said and her voice broke. "Hello. Yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm here. You okay?"

"What I said before, about being stupid. Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh."

"'Course I won't. 'Course I won't tell them."

"Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh."

"I won't tell them. I said I won't."

"Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh."

A small sob escaped from Rose's lips. The Doctor pulled her closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"I'm not going to tell them", Donna said and Rose could hear that she was near tears as well.

"Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh."

"She's looping now", River said. "The pattern's degrading."

"I can't think. I don't know, I, I, I, I scream. Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream..."

"Does anybody mind if I...?" River asked. Everyone shook their heads. She turned the comm off. Donna took a shaky and deep breath.

"That was, that was horrible. That was the most horrible thing I've ever seen."

Rose let go of the Doctor and hugged her. Then, just because she felt like she needed it, she hugged River. The woman buried her face into her shoulder and held her tightly and gratefully.

"It's just a freak of technology", River muttered as she let go of Rose. "But whatever did this to her, whatever killed her, I'd like a word with that", River said. The Doctor's mind was dark and cold and full of fear.

"I'll introduce you."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** Well hello there, my hopefully faithful readers! I know it's een ages since I last updated, but to be honest, it wasn't my fault. My Beta **anna1991** had to call off her duty and I needed to find a new beta. Not an easy task, but now I am able to introduce you to me new, wonderful Beta **KatarinaR**. Huge thanks to her for her help!

So here's the next chapter and I hope it makes up a little bit of the long pause.

Please read and review, that would make me very happy!

To **Bad Wolf Jen** , I am happy to tell you that yes, Jack and Sarah-Jane are going to pop up before the Grand Finale.

 **Disclaimer:** I owe nothing.

 **Something Off**

"I'm going to need a packed lunch", the Doctor said as they went back to the circle room with the lights.

"Hang on", River said and went to pick up her bag.

"Who are you?" the Doctor snapped to her.

River froze for a second. She swallowed. "Professor River Song, University of -"

"To us. Who are you to us?"

River looked at Rose in a hope for help, but seemed to remember that she wasn't going to be any help and turned back to the Doctor.

"Spoilers", she said silently. She took out a lunch box. "Chicken and a bit of salad. Knock yourself out."

The Doctor, who clearly wasn't satisfied with the answer he had got, grabbed the box and opened it.

"Right, you lot. Let's all meet the Vashta Nerada", he said and kneeled on the floor starting to sonic the surroundings. River came to Rose.

"Is this what this is going to be now? He doesn't know me, I get it, but neither do you and you're still... I mean, I know that he's the brain and you're the heart but he has never..."

River grimaced, as if in physical pain. Rose tried to figure out what exactly were they to her to cause that much pain. She tried to smile.

"He's just scared and stressed. Just give him time," she said silently.

"It shouldn't feel this bad", River muttered. "I knew this day would come. That some day you'd look right through me and it shouldn't kill me, but it does."

"How do you know us?" Rose asked although she knew she's probably wouldn't get an answer.

"We go way back", River answered. "When I sent the message I didn't mean it to arrive this early."

"Timey-wimey?"

River gave a tired and half-hearted laugh.

"Exactly."

"Rose!" the Doctor snapped. "Quiet. I'm working."

"Sorry", Rose said.

"Okay, got a live one!" the Doctor informed. "That's not darkness down those tunnels. This is not a shadow. It's a swarm. A man eating swarm."

He took a chicken leg from the box and threw it into the shadow. When it hit the floor there was only the bone left. Rose felt her stomach drop.

"The piranhas of the air. The Vashta Nerada. Literally, the shadows that melt the flesh. Most planets have them, but usually in small clusters. I've never seen an infestation on this scale, or this aggressive."

"So we're walking around in a library where a swarm of flesh-eating shadows are waiting for us to misstep?" Rose asked drily. "And I thought we were having a boring day celebrating our engagement. How foolish of me."

A short silence followed her words. She stroke her stomach like the gesture could somehow protect her and the baby from a man-eating shadows.

"Every shadow?" River asked shakely.

"No. But any shadow."

"So what do we do?"

"Daleks, aim for the eyestalk. Sontarans, back of the neck. Vashta Nerada? Run. Just run."

All the horrible things the Doctor could've said that was definitely the worst. Rose understood the Doctor's fear.

"Run? Run where?" River asked.

"This is an index point. There must be an exit teleport somewhere."

He looked at Lux, who raised his eyebrows.

"Don't look at me, I haven't memorised the schematics!"

"Doctor", Rose said, "the little shop. There's always a little shop on the way out. It's over there", she pointed the directions. "You'd think if there's a teleport, it's in there."

The Doctor's eyes lit up as he looked at Rose.

"You're right. Brilliant! That's why I like the little shop."

"Okay, let's move it", Dave said. He turned to go to the shop but the Doctor stopped him.

"Actually, Proper Dave? Could you stay where you are for a moment?"

"Why?"

Rose looked from the Doctor to Dave and her heart skipped several beats.

"I'm sorry", the Doctor said calmly. "I am so, so sorry. But you've got two shadows", he paused and looked regretful, like he didn't want to say the next words. "It's how they hunt. They latch on to a food source and keep it fresh."

"What do I do?" Dave asked. He sounded scared, not that anyone could blame him.

"You stay absolutely still, like there's a wasp in the room. Like there's a million wasps."

"We're not leaving you, Dave", River said firmly.

"'Course we're not leaving him. Where's your helmet? Don't point, just tell me."

Dave's breath was shallow. "On the floor, by my bag."

Rose went to him.

"Hey", she said silently. "You know what? If there's someone who can get you out from this, it's the Doctor. You're in the best hands you could get."

Dave didn't smile but he wasn't so tensed anymore when Anita brought his helmet.

"Don't cross his shadow", the Doctor warned. "Thanks. Now, the rest of you, helmets back on and sealed up. We'll need everything we've got", the Doctor put the helmet on Dave, giving him a reassurance smile.

"But, Doctor, we haven't got any helmets", Donna pointed out.

"Can't help it, Donna", Rose said. "We just need to get along without."

"I was hoping to get a lie that would make me feel better."

"Would you have believed it?"

"Probably not."

Rose smiled and wrapped her arm around Donna's shoulders. "Just trust the Doctor, yeah?"

"Professor, anything I can do with the suit?" the Doctor asked.

"What good are the damn suits? Miss Evangelista was wearing her suit. There was nothing left!" Lux said desperately.

"We can increase the mesh density. Dial it up four hundred percent. Make it a tougher meal", River answered.

"Okay", the Doctor muttered and turned back to Dave, sonicing his suit. "Eight hundred percent. Rose, do the same with yours. Setting three seven x"

Rose nodded and took out her sonic pen.

#####

After all the suits were upgraded, the Doctor took Rose by one hand and Donna by the other and pulled the towards the little shop. Rose stopped dead when she realised what he was doing.

"I am _not_ going", she said.

"Rose", the Doctor said as he followed her. "I am not letting you to stay in here. Especially not in your condition."

"And in my condition I'm not leaving you alone in the Library full of shadows that can eat you whole!"

"I'm not -"

"Then don't!" Rose shouted. "You're not sending me away again! You promised you wouldn't do that!"

He looked like he was trying his best to swallow his anger.

"Fine!" he snapped. "Donna! Come on!" and he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the little shop. River looked at Rose.

"In your condition", she said. Her eyes were large and glimmery. "You're still pregnant."

"Yeah?" Rose said unsurely.

"Nothing. Just... never met you pregnant before."

Rose opened her mouth to another question, but then the Doctor marched out from the shop. He was looking dark and scared. Rose went to him and laid her hands on his chest.

"Getting upset isn't gonna help", she said calmly. "Best way to get out from here is to stay calm and think, yeah? So think, Doctor. Use those Time Lord brains of yours."

The Doctor closed his eyes for a moment and leaned his forehead against Rose's. He had closed his mind completely from her, which meant that he was really scared. Rose nudged him gently and tried to find a hole to sneak in, but as there wasn't any, she just let him know that she trusted and loved him.

"Doctor", River's voice cut them. They looked up at her. She was pointing at Dave, who had just one shadow.

"Where did it go?" the Doctor asked and let go of Rose.

"It's just gone. I looked round, one shadow, see", Dave turned around. His voice was full of relief.

"Does that mean we can leave? I don't want to hang around here. I don't want anyone to", River added and she looked at Rose when she said that.

"I don't know why we're still here", Lux said. "We can leave them, can't we? I mean, no offence."

"Shut up, Mister Lux", River snapped, not even looking at him.

"Did you feel anything, like an energy transfer? Anything at all?" the Doctor continued rounding Dave.

"No, no, but look, it's gone", Dave said, still turning.

"Stop there. Stop, stop, stop there. Stop moving. They're never just gone and they never give up."  
He started to sonic the floor around Dave. "Well, this one's benign," he muttered to the one shadow left.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Dave said suddenly and loudly.

"No one, they're fine", the Doctor said frowning and straightened his back.

"No seriously, turn them back on."

"They are on", River said. Rose looked at Dave, who was facing him. His visor was pitch black. Suddenly she felt cold.

"Doctor", she said calmly, like talking about what's for dinner. He turned to look at. "The visor", she whispered. He nodded.

"I can't see a ruddy thing..."

"Dave", the Doctor said calmly. "Turn around."

"What's going on? Why can't I see? Is the power gone? Are we safe here?" questions kept dropping from Dave's mouth before anyone could answer even the first one.

"Dave, I want you stay still. Absolutely still", the Doctor said, still calm. What ever Rose had said or done had helped at least a little. Dave jerked roughly.

"Dave?" the Doctor asked concerned. "Dave? Dave, can you hear me? Are you all right? Talk to me, Dave."

"I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm fine", he answered.

"I want you to stay still. Absolutely still", the Doctor repeated.

"I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm fine. I can't. Why can't I? I, I can't. Why can't I? I, I can't. Why can't I? I -"

Rose realised she was holding her breath and blew it out. She looked from Dave to the Doctor and River, who looked pale.

"He's gone", River said in a hollow voice. "He's ghosting."

"Then why is he still standing?" Lux asked.

"Hey, who turned out the lights? Hey, who turned out the lights?" Dave started to repeat. The Doctor stepped closer. So did Rose, but not to go to Dave but to stop the Doctor.

"Rose, don't", River warned. Rose didn't listen. She went to the Doctor, who tried to wave her off. "Dave, can you hear me?" he asked. Rose stepped beside him, ignoring his warning look.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?"

"Dave?" Rose tried. And suddenly Dave or the suit reached forward and grabbed Rose by her throat. The visor cleared and she could see a skull. For a brief moment she thought how horrible it was that they couldn't save him. Then it became too hard to breath. The Doctor tried to pull the hands off Rose, who tried to gasp air. She started to see spots.

"Who turned out the lights? Hey, who turned out the lights?" Dave repeated. Rose closed her eyes. She was going to die, she realised, and so was the baby. Her pulse thickened. Dave let go of her and stumbled backwards. Rose saw a flash of blonde hair. A galaxy glimmered green and red. 'Destroyer of the worlds' echoed with the horrible words 'One will die!'. 'Mum?'

She gasped. Her seeking hand found the Doctor who pulled her up.

"Rose?"

"I'm fine", she whispered. She felt another hand grabbing her and looked at a worried River.

"We have to move", she said. "That thing is going to be alright for a moment."

The zombie that had once been Dave straightened its back. There were a few fingers lacking from its suit, like they were burned off. It took one step forward.

"Doesn't move very fast, does it?" River said. She still didn't let go of Rose.

"It's a swarm in a suit. But it's learning", the Doctor muttered. He pulled Rose away from the suit when four shadows around it started to grow.

"What do we do? Where do we go?" Lux panicked.

"See that wall behind you?" River said, pointing. "Duck", with that she pulled out a gun and fires it to the wall. It made a square hole in it. Rose remembered when Jack had had one, back when they had met.

"Squareness gun!" the Doctor said excitedly.

"Everybody out", River said. "Go, go, go. Move it. Move, move. Move it. Move, move!"

Everyone ran through the hole into a corridor.

"You said not every shadow" River said.

"No. But any shadow."

"Hey, who turned out the lights?"

"Run!" Rose and River shouted at the same time. The Doctor tried to sonic the powers up, telling them even if they weren't listening, that light only slowed them down. When others were far enough the Doctor turned to Rose.

"Who is she?" he asked. "Did she say anything?"

"Only that she knows us and that we'll know her."

He didn't look at all so sure.

"I don't trust her", he said. "She's too..."

"Too what?"

"Too everything", the Doctor ended. They reached the others.

"What's the plan?" River asked.

"I teleported Donna back to the TARDIS", the Doctor said like there hadn't been any conversation about her only few seconds earlier. "If we don't get back there in under five hours, emergency program one will activate."

"Take her home, yeah. We need to get a shift on", River said.

"She's not there" the Doctor continued and looked at Rose. "I should have received a signal. The console signals me if there's a teleport breach."

"What?" Rose said. "You mean to tell me you sent her somewhere else? Could she be in the Library somewhere?" she didn't mean to sound so angry, but couldn't help it. River came for a rescue.

"Well, maybe the coordinates have slipped. The equipment here's ancient."  
There was a Node nearby and the Doctor approached it.

"Donna Noble. There's a Donna Noble somewhere in this library. Do you have the software to locate her position?" he asked. The Node turned around. Rose grabbed the nearest hand and it belonged to River. The Node had the face of Donna.

"Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved", it said with Donna's voice. The Doctor stepped forward and cupped the Node-Donna's cheek.

"Donna..."

The Donna Node repeated the same words. River started to get impatient, but neither the Doctor nor Rose moved.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?"

By the shock of losing Donna, Rose had completely forgot that they were chased by the Swarm-Dave.

"Doctor!" River cried.

"Donna Noble has been saved."

"Hey, who turned out the lights?"

"Donna Noble has left the library."

Rose felt dizzy. She felt sick. Her head ached and her stomach cramped and she closed her eyes, almost fell before River caught her and she found her balance again.

"Doctor, we've got to go now!" River shouted.

"Donna Noble has been saved."

"Hey, who turned out the lights?"

The Doctor woke up from his trance, turned to them, took Rose's hand and pulled her to follow him. The words of Node Donna and Dave followed them. Rose wasn't sure if she was running or flying and everything felt so unreal. Everything was yellow. 'Mum?' Everything was black and then she was running through the corridor.

"Hey, who turned out the lights? Hey, who turned out the lights?"

River fired another square hole into the wall and entered.

"Okay, we've got a clear spot", River informed them. "In, in, in! Right in the centre. In the middle of the light, quickly! Don't let your shadows cross."

Rose ran through the hole and the Doctor followed her. He started to sonic the surroundings immediately. They were in another round room. It was as high as the other one, but the sky was orange and there was a moon in it.

"Doctor", River said.

"I'm doing it", the Doctor answered.

"There's no lights here", River pointed out. "Sunset's coming. We can't stay long. Have you found a live one?"

Rose felt wobbly and, as there was no chairs in the light, she sat on the floor and bend her head between her knees.

"Maybe. It's getting harder to tell", the Doctor straightened his back and noticed Rose. "What is it?" he asked, worried.

"I'm fine", she answered with a weak voice. "Just worried about Donna."

The Doctor opened his mouth but Rose shook her head.

"I'm fine", she said and this time she sounded firmer. "Do what you need to do."

"We're going to need a chicken leg", River said. "Who's got a chicken leg?" she got one from Other Dave and threw it into the nearest shadow and it was eaten again.

"Okay. Okay, we've got a hot one", River said. "Watch your feet."

"They won't attack until there's enough of them", the Doctor said, meaning it to be for comfort. No one looked comforted, though. "But they've got our scent now. They're coming."

Rose climbed back to her feet, feeling more balanced now. She had probably just low blood sugar levels. She was pregnant, things like this were normal in that state, right? She went to the Doctor, who was laying on his stomach on the floor and sonicing the shadows.

"Do you have a plan or are we just making it while running?" she asked. He looked at her and sat up.

"I have no idea what we're going to do and how we're going to get out from here and, what's the worst, where Donna is if she's even alive."

Rose sat on the floor next to him and wrapped her arm around him and resting her head on his shoulder. He sighed and leaned his head on hers.

"It's going to be fine", she told him. "It's always going to be fine."

"You're feeling sick", he said sadness in his voice. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Who told me you can go and look into my mind?" Rose teased. "I'm fine. Just pregnancy stuff."

She felt that he wasn't so sure about that but didn't say anything. They were silent for a while, his fingers stroke her palm.

"Is there a problem?" River asked. The Doctor stood up and helped Rose to her feet as well.

"There's a signal coming from somewhere, interfering with it", the Doctor said.

"Then use the red settings", River advised. The Doctor looked a bit irritated.

"It doesn't have a red setting."

"Well, use the dampers."

His irritation grew. "It doesn't have dampers!"

"Rose's does."

"It does?" Rose asked curiously, taking her sonic pen out. "I thought this one was much more primitive than his."

"In most levels it is", River nodded. "But it does have dampers."

The Doctor took the pen but looked at River.

"How would you know that?" he asked coldly.

"Doctor, not now", Rose said silently.

"Yes, now. I want to know. How do you know what Rose's pen does and does not?"

"I didn't pluck it from her cold dead hands, if that's what you're worried about", River said rather calmly, even though the oncoming storm was staring at her.

"And I know that because...?"

"Doctor, I'm serious", Rose tried again, but he waved her silent.

"Listen to me", River tried to reason. "You've lost your friend. Rose is feeling sick. You're angry. I understand. But you need to be less emotional, Doctor, right now."

"Less emotional? I'm not emotional!" his voice was full of emotions. Rose took his hand but he pulled it away, like he wasn't able to quite control everything he was feeling and didn't want pour it all on Rose.

"There are five people in this room still alive. Focus on that", River said, still calmly, and turned to look at Rose. It was obviously a habit and she rolled her eyes. "Dear god, how did you cope with him when he's this young?"

"Yo-, Who are you?"

His patience started to crack again. Rose stepped between them, facing the Doctor.

"We need to trust to her now", she said to him. "We have no other options."

"Why, why would we trust her?"

River touched Rose's shoulder. She turned to look at her. There was a brave, sad smile on her face.

"I never knew you knew all along", she said and with that she took Rose's hand in hers. Rose looked up at her as her mind filled with something great and powerful. It wasn't exactly that kind of a link she had with the Doctor. It was something completely different and strange yet somehow familiar, and somehow Rose knew that she could trust her life in River's hands. River looked straight into Rose's eyes and she took a deep breath.

"We can trust her", she said to the Doctor. He frowned.

"What happened?"

"Show him", Rose encouraged River, but she shook her head.

"I can't", she said silently. "It's only you."

"Why?"

Her eyes were full of tears.

"Spoilers."

She let go of Rose's hand and left them. Rose turned to the Doctor.

"What happened?" he asked again. "Did you see something?"

"I can't explain it", she said. "It was like... like I knew her."

"And you think we can trust her?"

"Definitely", she said. There was a long pause when the Doctor looked at her. It was their word and she had used it intentionally. He swallowed; right now he was more human than Rose had ever seen him to be. And then, like a snap of fingers, he turned to the rest of them and he was the Doctor again.

"Know what's interesting about my screwdriver? Very hard to interfere with. Practically nothing's strong enough. Well, some hairdryers, but I'm working on that. So there is a very strong signal coming from somewhere, and it wasn't there before. So what's new? What's changed?" he looked from one to another.

"Come on! What's new? What's different?" he demanded.

"I don't know. Nothing. It's getting dark?" Other Dave suggested. The Doctor opened his mouth to a sarcastic comment but Rose interrupted him.

"There's a moon on the sky", she said. He looked up and then back to the group.

"The moon. Tell me about the moon. What's there?" he asked.

"It's not real. It was built as part of the Library. It's just a Doctor Moon", Lux told him.

"What's a Doctor Moon?"

"A virus checker", Lux said. "It supports and maintains the main computer at the core of the planet."

"Well, still active", the Doctor said, sonicing it. "It's signalling. Look. Someone somewhere in this library is alive and communicating with the moon. Or, possibly alive and drying their hair..." he raised the sonic to his ear. "No, the signal is definitely coming from the moon. I'm blocking it, but it's trying to break through."

Suddenly in front of them appeared an image of Donna.

"Doctor!" River exclaimed. Donna turned to them and opened her mouth.

"Donna!" the Doctor shouted. He lowered the sonic and the image disappeared.

"She's alive", Rose said. "Right? I mean, she's not a Node if she was there. Can you get her back?"

The Doctor started to sonic again.

"Hold on, hold on, hold on. I'm trying to find the wavelength", he changed settings and soniced again, groaned. "I'm being blocked."

"Professor?" Anita's weak voice said. River told her to wait, but Rose turned to her. She was not going to loose anyone else just because she had ignored them. Her heart sunk. She had hoped this day wouldn't get any worse, but she had been wrong; Anita had two shadows.

"Oh, no", she whispered. Anita looked at her horror in her eyes. "She has two shadows", she said silently. Both River and the Doctor turned to her immediately.

"Okay. Helmets on, everyone. Anita, I'll get yours", River said, picking up Anita's helmet. She gave a sad smile.

"It didn't do Proper Dave any good", she said and her voice cracked.

"Just keep it together, okay?"

"Keeping it together. I'm only crying. I'm about to die. It's not an overreaction", Anita said. There was a teary smile on her face before River put the helmet on.

"Hang on", the Doctor said. He soniced the visor and it turned black. River gasped.

"Oh god, they've got inside", she said.

"No, no, no. I just tinted her visor. Maybe they'll think they're already in there, leave her alone..."

That was somewhat good thinking, although Rose wasn't so sure it'd work. Neither was River, apparently.

"Do you think they can be fooled like that?" she questioned.

"Maybe. I don't know. It's a swarm. It's not like we chat..."

"Can you still see in there?" Other Dave asked.

"Just about."

"Just, just, just stay back. Rose, Professor, a quick word, please."

"What?"

"Down here."

They moved further away from the group.

"What is it?" River asked.

"Look, you said there are five people still alive in this room."

"Yeah, so?"

"So, why are there six?"

Rose turned to see the room. There was, indeed, six of them. Oh well, so the day was getting worse. She should've known.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" the sixth person said like it had been waiting for a sign.

"Run!"

They ran. The Doctor found Rose's hand at some point.

 _You okay?_

His direct contact surprised her. They communicated like this rarely as it was still new to them and most time they were able to speak out load.

 _Yeah, fine._

 _I'm worried. There's something off._

 _What do you mean?_

 _I can't put my finger on it. Please, Rose, don't do anything stupid. I might be wrong, I hope I'm wrong. But be... I mean, I don't want you to get hurt._

She sent her just questions but he didn't answer. Maybe he really couldn't. What did he mean, something was off? Off with what? With her? She tried to look into her own mind, but it was harder than she thought. She saw flashes of the shining world the Doctor had once showed her, but it kept slipping away. Then there was a small cry and silence. The Doctor squeesed her hand.

"Go with River. Find a safe spot."

"What?" Rose said. "I'm not leaving you!"

"I need to talk to them", the Doctor said.

"It's a carnivorous swarm in a suit. You can't reason with it", River said.

"Five minutes."

He kissed Rose's knuckles and pushed her towards River. "If you're really are what you say you are, you'll take care of Rose. Understood?"

"No one's gonna harm a hair on her head", River said.

"No", Rose argued. "I'm not -"

"Remember when you said you'd do what I told you if it'd get really dangerous?"

"Yeah, but -"

"I need you to be safe. I can take care of myself. But right now, you're in better care with... Professor."

She swallowed.

"Okay", she consented. She kissed him quickly. "Be safe", and she moved to River.

"Other Dave, stay with him", River said. "Pull him out when he's too stupid to live. Two minutes, Doctor."

"Hey, who turned out the lights?"

Rose had never thought that those words would cause this much fear. But she had never thought she'd see nightmares about words 'Are you my mummy?' so...

"Come on", River said and pulled her to follow. She looked behind as long as she could. They rounded a corner and now she could only hope the Doctor would be okay, that he'd make it out alive.


	21. The Loss

**A/N:** Hello readers, and thank you for your follows and favorites and thank you **Bad Wolf Jen** for your comment! Keep them coming, and tell me what you think!

Here's the next chapter. Let's give a big hand to **KatarinaR** , my Beta.

 **Disclaimer:** Still not mine.

 **The Loss**

The first time the pain hit it was sudden and hard and very much like the pain she used to have while her younger years during the periods. It was gone before she even had time to react. She raised her hand to her lower stomach anyway.

"Rose?" River asked, sounding a bit worried. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fi -"

That's when it happened again. This time it lasted longer, she cried out loud and bend forward, holding her stomach with both of her hands. River kneeled immediately in front of her, holding her shoulders and helped her sit down. There was cold sweat running down her face as the pain eased.

"River", she whispered as the tears of pain burnt her eyes. "When you said I was still pregnant..."

"I'm sorry Rose, I can't tell you."

"Th-the Doctor", Rose said as another wave of pain hit her. "I need the Doctor."

"Yeah, I know. He's coming", River assured her.

"The Doctor is here, isn't he? He is coming back, right?" Anita asked.

"Yes, of course", River said. She squeesed Rose's shoulders. "He always comes back. You two always find each other. He needs you just as much as you need him. You find each other in the middle of the most horrible storm. People have tried to separate you for ages but they can't, not you two. You find each other and you go back to your TARDIS and open the door with the snap of your fingers. The Doctor and Rose Tyler, in the TARDIS. Just as it should be."

"Rose!" The Doctor ran down the stairs, hopping over the four last ones and rushing to her. "What happened?"

The tears she had kept to herself the whole time River had spoken, started to ran down.

"I'm scared", she whispered. "I think I'm... I think I'm..." but the last words just didn't come out. "Is this what was off?"

The Doctor stood up, looking at River and his eyes turned dark. Now he wasn't just the oncoming storm; he was furious. River paled and backed off.

"Doctor", she began. "Doctor, please."

"What is going on?" he asked, anger leaking out of his voice. Rose climbed to her feet and took Doctor's hand, pulled it gently.

"Hey", she said calmly. "Let's not argue about this now, yeah? There's a bit more erg-", she gasped and closed her eyes. "Urgent things to do", she ended. With some trouble, the Doctor calmed himself. He didn't trust this woman, but he did trust Rose, and Rose had said they could trust her. So he did his best to believe this wasn't all River's fault. He didn't let go of Rose's hand, needing every drop of her presence to keep himself together. Even if there was fear mixed into her comfort, and even if he was so scared for her right now, and she was scared for the baby. There was an echo of pain that leaked trough the link. Rose's barriers were weak. The Doctor swallowed.

River looked behind him. "Where's Other Dave?"

"Not coming. Sorry", he answered, taking a deep breath and letting go of Rose's hand. The emptiness that the lack of the touch caused in his mind was even more cold than usual.

"Well, if they've taken him, why haven't they gotten me yet?" Anita asked. The Doctor forced himself to concentrate on what was going on.

"I don't know. Maybe tinting your visor's making a difference."

"It's making a difference all right. No one's ever going to see my face again."

"Can I get you anything?" the Doctor asked.

"An old age would be nice. Anything you can do?"

"I'm all over it."

"We need to get to the main computer", Rose said.

"Why?" The Doctor asked.

"I hadn't time to tell you before", Rose said hastily. "What the message said. It's wrong. It should be safe. Not saved."

The Doctor looked at her like he'd never seen anything as brilliant. And, to be honest, he hadn't.

"Oh, Rose Tyler, you are brilliant, you are!" he greeted. "You don't say saved. Nobody says saved. You say safe. The data fragment! What did it say?"

"Four thousand and twenty-two people saved. No survivors", Lux said.

"What are you two on about?" River asked unsufrely.

"Nobody says saved. Nutters say saved. You say safe. You see, it didn't mean safe. It meant, it literally meant, saved!" he hugged Rose fiercely before letting go of her and rushing to the computer and opened the Archive file. "See, there it is, right there. A hundred years ago, massive power surge. All the teleports going at once. Soon as the Vashta Nerada hit their hatching cycle, they attack. Someone hits the alarm. The computer tries to teleport everyone out."

"It tried to teleport four thousand twenty-two people?" River asked bewildered.

"It succeeded. Pulled them all out, but then what? Nowhere to send them. Nowhere safe in the whole library. Vashta Nerada growing in every shadow. Four thousand and twenty-two people all beamed up and nowhere to go. They're stuck in the system, waiting to be sent, like emails. So what's a computer to do? What does a computer always do?"

"It saved them", River realised.

"The library. A whole world of books, and right at the core, the biggest hard drive in history. The index to everything ever written, backup copies of every single book. The computer saved four thousand and twenty-two people the only way a computer can. It saved them to the hard drive", he smiled at Rose. "That's where Donna is. When we unload the hard drive, we get everyone out. Including Donna."

Rose smiled, but her smile soon turned into a grimace. The pain was worst this time. It wasn't just physical pain; her mind was filled with the agony of someone else. The baby was screaming and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. She screamed as well. The pain was horrible but the idea of the baby's suffering hurt more than anything ever. More than getting trapped into the parallel universe, more than saying goodbye to the Doctor, more than seeing the Master and Jenny die. She raised her hands to her head and cried out load, in pain and suffering and fear and just pure grief on the upcoming loss. And then it stopped. Although there was still the burning ache on her lower stomach, the screaming had ended and there was emptiness in her head.

"No", she whispered. "No. No no no", and she tried to poke the baby, contact him, but there was no answer. "No. Please no."

She felt like falling and it took a while to realise that she was really falling. River caught her before she hit the ground.

"Did I lose him?" Rose whispered. The view was a bit blurry. She couldn't be sure if she saw tears in River's eyes or not. "Is this what you meant?"

She didn't hear the reply.

#####

"Rose!"

She didn't react. Right now he didn't care that in twenty minutes the Library, the whole planet, would crack like and egg. He didn't care that the Vastha Nerada was about to eat them all. He didn't care what Lux said about Doctor Moon and Cal. He didn't care that the systems were offline or what Cal was or what he should do. All he cared about if Rose was okay. He tried to contact her. She was there, faintly, but still there. Alive! Her body temperature was growing; the Bad Wolf had woken up.

"We need to stop this. We've got to save Cal", Lux said. The Doctor looked up from Rose.

"What is it? What is Cal?" he asked, once again.

"We need to get to the main computer. I'll show you."

Finally! He picked Rose up to his arms, moved her head to rest against his shoulder and looked at Lux.

"It's at the core of the planet", he said.

"Well, then. Let's go", River said. Without asking, she put her hand in Rose's jacket pocket and pulled out her sonic pen, pointing it at the compass rose in the floor. It opened. The Doctor, who had followed her actions with great suspicion, got as relieved as was possible in the situation.

"Gravity platform", River said proudly, putting the pen back into Rose's pocket. The Doctor thought, although unwillingly, that maybe, just maybe, he could like River. Lux, River, Anita and the Doctor, carrying Rose, stepped onto the platform and it went down. Rose's pain was leaking through their link. The Doctor could've easily block it out, but he didn't. He deserved to feel her pain; this was all his fault after all. When they reached the bottom, the Doctor looked around. He was going to need both of his hands to work, so he gently placed Rose on the floor.

"Take care of her", he said to River and went to find the access terminal. He knew that the Bad Wolf was going to take care of Rose. He knew that her improved genes and the TARDIS DNA wouldn't let her die. But there was still one thing he couldn't undo. But right now he needed to keep himself together. River was right; he needed Rose. He found what he was looking for.

"Help me. Please, help me", a childish voice reached them.

"What's that?" Anita asked.

"The computer's in sleep mode. I can't wake it up. I'm trying."

"Doctor!" River cried behind him. "She's burning hot!"

"What do you expect? She's having a miscarriage! The Bad Wolf energy is doing all it can to keep her alive!" his voice was cracking but he did his best to concentrate on what he was doing. "Don't touch her or you'll get burnt!"

"Do something!" River shouted. He didn't answer. He knew Rose would want him to save all of the people trapped by Cal, no matter what was happening to her. And he knew, although he didn't like it, that there was absolutely nothing he was able to do to help Rose right now. He heard River to call Rose's name and, once again, wondered what she was to her. What was there that River was able to show only to Rose?

"What are you going to do?" River asked.

"I need to wake Cal up", he answered.

"It is dreaming", Lux said suddenly. "Of a normal life, and a lovely Dad, and of every book ever written."

"Computers don't dream", Anita pointed out.

"No, but little girls do", Lux said. He pulled a breaker and a door opened. The Doctor turned to go and pick up Rose, but River had already done that. Showing a lot more strength than the Doctor had expected, she carried her in. And it wasn't just the fact that she was able to carry a woman the same size of her that surprised the Doctor; she was able to touch her, even when the Bad Wolf was in control. Even the Master hadn't been able to do that, and Rose had loved him. He shook it off. Now was not the time to think about that. He went in. A node turned to face them. It had a face of a child, of the same girl that had been on the computer, the girl who had spoken about 'her library'.

"Please help me", she asked.

"Oh, my god", River gasped. She laid Rose back to the floor.

"It's the little girl. The girl we saw in the computer", Anita muttered.

"She's not in the computer. In a way, she is the computer. The main command node. This is Cal", Lux said. Something inside the Doctor snapped. They had all been in a deadly danger, three of them had died, Rose was having a miscarriage and this man, this unbelievably stupid man, hadn't told him this tiny little very important detail!

"Cal is a child?" he snapped. "A child hooked up to a mainframe? Why didn't you tell me this? I needed to know this!" he took a threating step closer to him. If anything was going to happen to Rose, he was ready to put the blame on this man.

"Because she's family!" Lux defended himself. "Cal. Charlotte Abigail Lux. My grandfather's youngest daughter. She was dying, so he built her a library and put her living mind inside, with a moon to watch over her, and all of human history to pass the time. Any era to live in, any book to read. She loved books more than anything, and he gave her them all. He asked only that she'd be left in peace. A secret, not a freak show."

All the anger poured out of the Doctor and he turned to look at the face on the Node. "So, you weren't protecting a patent, you were protecting her", he said. Well then, he wasn't going to blame Lux after all. Well, maybe a little.

"This is only half a life, of course. But it's forever."

"And then the shadows came", the Doctor added. This seemed to wake up Cal.

"The shadows. I have to. I have to save. Have to save", she said.

"And she saved them", the Doctor said, mostly to the Node. "She saved everyone in the library. Folded them into her dreams and kept them safe."

"Then why didn't she tell us?" Anita asked.

"Because she's forgotten. She's got over four thousand living minds chatting away inside her head. It must be like being, well", he paused sadly, "me."

"So, what do we do?" asked River, who was still knelt next to Rose, wiping her sweaty hair away from her face. The way she took care of Rose... she must really have cared for her to act like that. He swallowed. Maybe Rose was right, maybe they were able to trust River.

"Autodestruct in ten minutes", the computer informed. The Doctor knew what they needed to do.

"Easy!" he said. "We beam all the people out of the data core. The computer will reset and stop the countdown", he paused as he realised a fault in his plan. "Difficult. Charlotte doesn't have enough memory space left to make the transfer..." he understood what he needed to do. Oh, well. At least he knew now that someone would take care of his Rose. "Easy! I'll hook myself up to the computer. She can borrow my memory space."

That's when River stood up. "Difficult. It'll kill you stone dead."

"Yeah, it's easy to criticise", he said drily, starting to work with the wires.

"It'll burn out both your hearts and don't think you'll regenerate", River continued and damn, she really knew him if she knew about the regeneration.

"I'll try my hardest not to die. Honestly, it's my main thing", the Doctor babbled. He knew this wasn't the bestest of ideas but it was the only idea and they had less than ten minutes and he really, really needed to do this.

"What would Rose say?" River challenged. He stopped for less than a second.

"She'd want me to do whatever I can to save these people."

"Not in the cost of your own life!"

"Yes, in the cost of my own life! You think we haven't risked our lives hundreds of times for others? That we haven't been this close to death over and over again to save only a handful of people? She'd let me do this."

"You can't leave her alone!"

"I'm leaving her into your care, River", he said. "I trust that you'll take care of her."

"Doctor!"

"I'm right, this works. Shut up", he wasn't going to argue about this, not now that there was so little time and so much to lose and she was so right in some parts and so wrong in other parts and oh, he needed Rose. Rose would say just the right words. Rose would... she would... "Now listen. You and Luxy boy, back up to the main library. Prime any data cells you can find for maximum download, and before you say anything else, Professor, can I just mention in passing as you're here, shut up."

"Oh! I hate you sometimes!" River snapped.

"I know!"

"Mister Lux, with me", River said and for once she was doing what he asked her to do. "Anita, if he dies, I'll kill him!"

They left and the Doctor kept working in silence for a while. He glanced at Rose every once in a while, hoping beyond hope that she'd wake up and tell him what to do.

"What about the Vashta Nerada?"

If something was going to make him feel even more angry and desperate, it was this. Anita, brave and smart Anita, was dead and the Vastha Nerada was using her. If he only could he would kill every single man-eating dust like creature. They were to blame, and oh, wasn't it good to blame someone else than himself for a moment.

"These are their forests", the Doctor said not looking at the swarm that had once been Anita. "I'm going to seal Charlotte inside her little world, take everybody else away. The shadows can swarm to their hearts' content."

"So you think they're just going to let us go?"

"Best offer they're going to get", the Doctor said. Because if they weren't, he'd find a way to destroy them; he'd explode the planet if that's what it'd take.

"You're going to make them an offer?" Vastha Nerada -Anita asked.

"They'd better take it, because right now, I'm finding it very hard to make any kind of offer at all", this time he turned to the suit. "You know what? I really liked Anita. She was brave, even when she was crying. And she never gave in. And you ate her", he pointed his sonic at the suit. The skull was revealed. "But I'm going to let that pass, just as long as you let them pass."

"How long have you known?"

"I counted the shadows. You only have one now. She's nearly gone. Be kind."

"These are our forests. We are not kind", Vastha Nerada said.

"I'm giving you back your forests, but you are giving me them. You are letting them go", the Doctor said.

"These are our forests. They are our meat."

It sounded horrible but even more horrible was when the shadows started to grow; Vastha Nerada was reaching not only him, but also the still unconscious Rose. And that was too much.

"Don't play games with me. You just killed someone I liked and right now, you're threating someone I love. That is not a safe place to stand. I'm the Doctor, and you're in the biggest library in the universe. Look me up."

He knew that there were probably thousands of books written about him. And none of them were going to show him as a nice person, a kind and forgiving person, a person that would let the villain to slip through. He was right; the shadows withdrew.

"You have one day."

The spacesuit collapsed. The Doctor turned back to the settings. River came back, why did she come back? He hadn't asked her to come back.

"Oh, Anita", she sighed.

"I'm sorry. She's been dead a while now", he glared at him. "I told you to go!"

"Lux can manage without me, but you can't", she said calmly. And then, out of the blue, she punched him. He didn't even have time to admire the strength of her punch before he blacked out.

#####

"Autodestruct in two minutes."

The Doctor woke up into the computer's voice. He blinked and saw Rose laying near him, still unconscious. Her jeans were covered with blood and she was pale. He reached for her, and as his mind was filled with hers, he sighed in relief. Then he turned his head, damn, he had a headache. His eyes met River. She was sitting and putting some wires together. The Doctor realised what she was doing and that was not a good thing.

"Oh, no, no, no, no. Come on, what are you doing? That's my job!"

"Oh, like I was going to let you do this?" River said drily. The Doctor tried to move and realised he was handcuffed. What?

"Why am I handcuffed?" he asked. Then again... "Why do you even have handcuffs?"

"In case you end up doing something stupid and I need to stop you", she answered cheekily. "I have a pair for Rose as well", she added.

"This isn't a joke, River. Stop this now. This is going to kill you! I'd have a chance, you don't have any", he tried to reason this woman, there was still a chance. He needed to save someone, he needed to save River.

"You wouldn't have a chance, and neither do I. I'm timing it for the end of the countdown. There'll be a blip in the command flow. That way it should improve our chances of a clean download."

"River, please. No", the Doctor pealed.

"Funny thing is, this means you've always known how I was going to die", River said. There was sadness in her voice and tears in her eyes. "All the time we've known each other, you knew I was coming here. The last time I saw you two you took me to see Felspoon to see the swaying mountains. I should've known. Not only because Rose cried, but because you cried as well. You wouldn't tell me why, but I suppose you knew it was time. My time. Time to come to the Library."

She gave him a sad smile. The Doctor noticed his screwdriver on the top of a blue diary. He tried to reach it but they were only an inch too far.

"There's nothing you can do", River said.

"You can let me do this."

"If you die here, it'll mean I've never met you", River said. "It'll mean Rose will die soon as well, because the TARDIS can't go long without you."

"Time can be rewritten", the Doctor tried.

"Not those times. Not one line. Don't you dare. It's okay. It's okay", she smiled but her voice was cracking. "It's all coming for you. And you'll learn to like me, Doctor. I promise. It'll take some time, but you'll get there."

"What will I say to Rose?" the Doctor asked. The computer told them they had only ten seconds.

"There's something between you two. I don't know what it is, but it means a lot to her."  
Tears started to pour down River's cheeks. But she smiled anyway.

"Spoilers", she whispered. The countdown hit zero. River joined the power cables together. The Doctor needed to turn his head away as the bright, almost blinding light hit against his eyes. Then it was over. He sat there, not able to really do anything. River's body was hanging on the chair. It was over. She had done it but it was over, River was dead. He hadn't been able to save her. He reached to touch Rose's arm. She wasn't feverish anymore. That was a weak comfort.

"I'm sorry", he said. "I tried."

He tried not to look at the curls. He closed his eyes.

#####

It took some time and a lot of acrobatics, but finally the Doctor managed to kick and pull his sonic screwdriver close enough to reach it. He freed himself, put the sonic and the blue diary into his pocket, picked up Rose and walked slowly to the platform, up to the Library and through the corridors to the shop, where people were sent home by the teleport. He found Donna rather quickly.

"Oh my god", she said as she saw Rose in his arms. "What happened?"

"A lot", the Doctor said. "There isn't going to be any baby."

Donna looked at him with large eyes.

"I'm so sorry", she said.

"Yeah."

There was a short pause during which Donna's eyes started to wander to the group. She asked something but the Doctor had no idea what it was. He only nodded, hoping it was enough. After that Donna left. It looked like she was looking for someone. The Doctor didn't care who. He felt so empty. Rose moved in his arms and his hearts leaped. Her eyelashes shivered and she opened her eyes. He smiled at her. At least she was alive. That was the most important thing in the whole world.

"Hello", he said softly. She opened and closed her mouth for several times, licked her dry lips and swallowed.

"The... baby?" she asked with a small voice. His smile died.

"I'm sorry."

She closed her eyes again and turned her face to his shoulder.

#####

Some time later Donna came back. Rose was on her feet, leaning against the Doctor. Her mind was blurry; he wasn't able to get anything what she was feeling. She was probably too much in a shock.

"Found the one you were looking for?" he asked Donna. She shook her head.

"There wasn't even anyone called Lee in the Library that day. I suppose he could have had a different name out here, but, let's be honest, he wasn't real, was he?"

"Maybe not", the Doctor agreed.

"I made up the perfect man. Gorgeous, adores me, and hardly able to speak a word. What's that say about me?"

"Everything", he said. Donna lifted her eyebrows. He half waited Rose to laugh. She didn't. He wasn't sure if she even heard them. "Sorry, did I say everything? I meant to say nothing. I was aiming for nothing. I accidentally said everything."

There was still no laugh, not even a smile, from Rose. It broke his hearts to see her like this.

"Rose?" Donna said softly. "Are you alright?"

She looked at her but didn't say a word. The Doctor answered for her.

"We're always all right."

Silent tears started to pour down Rose's cheeks.

"Is all right special Time Lord code for really not all right at all?" Donna asked.

"Why?" he asked looking at her.

"Because I'm all right, too."

Once again Donna had found the truth. He swallowed and looked at Rose.

"Come on", he said silently. Rose was leaning to him, partly because she was still too weak to walk on her own and partly because she needed his presence in her mind. And vice versa. They walked slowly to the TARDIS. The Doctor took out his key but Rose stopped.

"River", she whispered.

"What?"

"River", she said, more clearly.

"I'm sorry, Rose", the Doctor said. "I tried. I did everything I could. I know she meant something to you and that you meant a world to her. I couldn't save her."

"I know", Rose said. "I didn't mean that."

"What then?"

Rose swallowed. Her eyes were fixed on the TARDIS and she raised her hand, took a deep breath and snapped her fingers. The TARDIS door swung open. The Doctor stared at it and then Rose.

"How did you do that?" he asked bewildered. There was a small smile on his face, but not even a hint of one on Rose's.

"She told me", she said. "River. She knew us, in her past. In our future," she turned to look at the Doctor. "She said she's never seen me pregnant. If she knows us in our future, that means I can never have a child."

"No", the Doctor said. "No, it doesn't."

"The look in her eyes..."

"We can't know that."

Rose didn't answer. Deep down she knew she was right, and that broke her heart.

#####

 **A/N:** I am so SORRY! But one of the (not so) fun facts are that I actually made this decision before I even started to write the whole thing. I am a horrible, horrible person.


	22. The Slow Recovery

**A/N:** Hello again, my loyal readers! Here's the next (angsty) chapter! I'd guess there's at least one scene you're gonna like ;)

Thank you for all the follows, favorites and comments! Please leave a note and tell me what you thought!

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

 **The Slow Recovery**

She locked herself into the bathroom, ignored the Doctor asking and pleading her to let him in when he heard her to cry, and peeled of her blood covered jeans and underwear. She tried to find the fetus from her underwear. She knew that he was only about two months old and the fetus would be only a few millimetres long. The small, bloody lump was the only thing she could guess was her son. She took him on her palm and looked at him. What could she do with him? She couldn't throw him away like a trash. She looked around and the TARDIS created a closet. Rose stumbled up from the floor and opened the closet. There was just one shelve and on the shelve one small box. There was a Gallifreyan writing on the lit. She opened the lit and put the small, bloody creature into it, closed the lit and held her breath for several seconds. After that she put the box aside and went into the shower. She had no strength to scrub the dried blood from her legs so she just stood there, under the burning hot water, and waited not really knowing what she waited.

#####

When she opened the door the Doctor stumbled up from the floor next to the door. She gave the box to him.

"What does this say?"

He read it out loud.

"The beloved Son of The Doctor and the Bad Wolf", he looked up at her. "Is this...?"

"Yeah."

"Can I...?"

"He's your son as much as mine, Doctor", she said and passed him. She climbed into the bed and pulled her legs against her chest.

"Rose, I think we should make sure that everything's fine with you."

"Nothing's fine with me", she muttered.

"No, I meant physically."

"I know what you meant."

There was a pause.

"Rose", he started again but didn't go any further. She waited for to say something, to come next to her, but she only heard him sigh.

"Do you want to be alone?" he finally asked. She closed her eyes and held her breath so she wouldn't start to cry. She couldn't answer. Not now. And as she didn't say anything, the Doctor left the room silently and closed the door behind him.

"I'm sorry", she whispered to the empty room.

#####

Rose hadn't slept this much since the first months in the parallel world after the Doctor had said his final goodbye. That time period had been the worst one of her life. Until now.

"Rose?" the Doctor's voice called from somewhere far away. "You want to go to Time Square to see the millennium change to 4000?"

"No, thanks", she said with a small voice. "You go."

She closed her eyes again. Those months in the parallel world had been a nightmare she had hoped she'd never had to go through again. Those months of loss and loneliness when she had been so ready to give up. And then her Mum had told her to get herself together and start trying to find her way back to the Doctor.

"Hey", Donna said. "I brought you tea and toast."

"I'm not hungry."

"You gotta eat something", she argued gently. "Then you can go back to sleep."

So she sat up and ate and slept again.

"Would you want to go and have a picnic on Asgard?" the Doctor asked. "It's lovely in there this time of the year."

She turned her back at him. He left her be. Why did this happen to her? Why couldn't she have her happiness? She tried to breathe. She tried to be.

#####

"Rose?"

It was Donna again. Rose couldn't really tell how long she had been sleeping. How long it had been since she had been out of the bed. She heard Donna to move closer and pretendted to be asleep. The the blanket was pulled off of her. She opened her eyes and turned to shot a deadly glare at Donna. But to her surprise she had even worse look from her.

"Get up", Donna said.

"What?"

"You heard me. Get up and take a shower. There's someone to see you."

"I don't want to", Rose said, knowing well that it was childish but didn't care about it.

"Too bad", Donna said. "You've been moping here for two weeks now."

Rose felt a wave of anger to wash over her.

"What? Moping? I just had a miscarriage, Donna!"

"Yes, I know", Donna said calmly. "And I'm so sorry for that. But you know what? Laying in your bed and feeling sorry for yourself isn't gonna help you."

"How do you know what's gonna help me", Rose muttered angrily.

"Okay then, it's not gonna help the Doctor", Donna said firmly. "Remember him? The tall guy, lots of hair, toothy grin, loves you to death? He's been walking up and down the corridor for thirteen days now. He doesn't even sit down. I've told him to come in and talk to you but he insists that you're mad at him."

Rose blinked. Donna sounded pretty pissed off. Rose had never heard her to talk like that. Sure, she had been angry at the Doctor a few times, but never at her and never like this. Donna's attitude was so unfair that Rose felt like crying and shouting at the same time. She ended up doing the latter.

"What do you want me to do, huh?" she snapped. "Stood up and pretend to be all happy go lucky just so the Doctor would stop walking?"

"No", Donna interrupted her. "I want you to get yourself together and talk to him. That's what you're supposed to do in a situation like this. You're supposed to take the offer of support, not turn them down like they'd be doing something horrible."

"Like coming in and shouting at me?" Rose said poisonously.

"Well, at least it's a reaction", Donna said. "Better than you lying down and not talking to anyone."

Rose opened her mouth and closed it. Donna looked pleased to herself. She even smiled.

"Glad to see you so happy", Rose said drily.

"You think I haven't thought this through before I came in?"

There was a small pause. Rose sighed.

"Who is it that wants to see me?"

#####

After Donna had forced her to take a shower and change her clothes, Rose felt a bit better. She sat down and stared at her tired self from the mirror. There was a small knock on the door and Rose turned to look when it opened.

"Rosie?"

"Jack?"

He stood there, by the door, and looked tall and sad and worried.

"What're you doing here?"

"Came to see you, Sugar", he said and smiled. "Now how could I leave my favourite girl alone in a time like this?"

Rose's eyes darkened.

"He told you."

"Yes, he told me", Jack admitted, closed the door behind him and came to sit by her. "He told me you haven't left the bed for two weeks. He's worried sick. I'm worried sick."

There was a pause during which Rose pulled her sleeved to cover her hands and hid them into her armpits.

"We only want to help", Jack said. "Please let us help."

"I don't want to be any trouble", she muttered. "I'll be fine. It's just gonna take a while."

"You're not alone, Rosie", Jack said. She looked at him and her eyes filled with tears.

"I can't even look at him", she whispered. "I don't want to see... It's my fault, all of it. If I hadn't... If I had listened to him..."

"It's not your fault", Jack said firmly.

"You didn't see his eyes. I don't want to see again how much he hates me."

Jack almost laughed.

"You're in even worse shape than I thought!" he said. "How can you even think he could hate you?"

Tears started to pour down her cheeks. "He spends as little time in here as he can", she stuttered.

"He thinks you blame him."

Rose wiped her eyes.

"No, he doesn't. He's not stupid."

"When it comes to you, he's always been stupid."

"But -"

"Well, we can ask from him, can't we?" Jack interrupted. He stood and went to the door, opened it and revealed the Doctor standing behind it. He looked a bit guilty, like he'd just been caught with his fingers in a jam jar.

"Rose has a question for you", Jack said. Rose blushed slightly and looked firmly at her shoes. The Doctor stepped in eagerly. He stayed at the door, hands in his pockets, and Rose thought he wanted to run away and never come back. She knew she wanted to do that.

"Yeah?" the Doctor said looking at Rose. She focused on her shoes. Jack groaned.

"What is it with you two?" he growled to himself. "Doctor, Rose would like to know if you blame her of what happened."

The Doctor turned to look at Jack. "What?" he turned back to Rose. "What? Why would you think that?"

She didn't dare to look up.

"Because it's my fault", she mumbled. He took three steps forward and stopped then, hesitated and took the last few steps to the chair, kneeled on the floor and laid his hand on her arm. She looked at it. Slowly her mind was filled with his. He was completely open and let her know everything and there was no hint of him blaming her in the smallest of matter. There was self-blame and self-hatred and fear that she blamed him. Rose's eyes wandered up his arm to his shoulder and then to his face.

"It's not your fault, Rose", he said. She sniffed.

"I should've gone to the TARDIS when you told me to", she said. "If I had... If I h-had..." her words broke and she rubbed her face. "The Bad Wolf, I couldn't stop her. She just... t-took over again. I should've st-stopped her, I..."

It went harder and harder to understand her words. They dropped from her lips with sobs. He took a firm but gentle hold of her shoulders.

"It's not your fault", he said. Rose shook her head violently. "Rose, look at me", he waited for her to do so. "Look at me", he repeated. She swallowed again and looked up at him. "It is not your fault. Don't you dare to think it is."

"But if -"

"No. No 'buts' and no 'ifs' and definitely not 'but ifs'. It's not your fault", and, as he didn't know how else to let her know how little he blamed her, how he didn't blame her at all, he pulled her to his arms. Now that she was upset, her barriers were weak and she didn't even try to stop her overfloating emotions to pour to him through their link. He took it all, every bit of her sorrow and self-blame and grief and agony. He deserved it all. This wasn't Rose's fault, it had never been her fault. It was completely and utterly his fault. And he was scared that this was something Rose would never been able to forgive him.

#####

The next morning Rose agreed to go to a trip with the Doctor and Donna. They started with something light, just some nice time at a spa on the Planet called Midnight. The Doctor, who wasn't at all eager to stay by the pool the whole day, tried to convince the girls to go to a trip to see the sapphire waterfalls with him. He spent minutes to tell them what it'd be like, but neither of the girls agreed.

"You sure you don't want to come?" the Doctor asked. "Diamond falls, Rose! If anything can take your mind out of thinking... well, it's the diamond falls."

Rose shook her head.

"No. Sorry, Doctor, but I think... I think I better stay in here. I've got Donna. I'm fine", she paused and they both looked at Donna, who was wearing a soft, white dressing gown and sitting by the pool. "I'm fine", she repeated.

"You want me to stay as well?"

"No. You go. Enjoy. Don't get into a trouble."

He smiled.

"It's a big space truck with a bunch of strangers across a diamond planet called Midnight? What could possibly go wrong?"

The Doctor half expected her to point out that those words were the last thing he should say out loud. If she had been herself, she'd told him everything that could go wrong. Now she only nodded, gave him a tired smile and turned to go to Donna.

"Rose", the Doctor said and took her hand. She turned to him and he brushed her hair away from her face. "I love you", he said. A smile visited her face less than a second, but at least it was sincere.

"I love you too."

#####

But sitting by the pool was a lot harder than Rose had expected it to be. Maybe it would've been just fine if there weren't that family. After listening forty minutes of the two-year-old boy to laugh and splash the water and watching the mother to rub her big pregnancy belly, the father throwing his son up to the air and catching him when he hit the water. A hard, aching something grew on her chest and she felt like she was suffocating. She swallowed and took a deep breath, felt how her lungs filled with air, but the feeling didn't leave.

"I..." she began but closed her mouth before she'd start to cry again. She closed her eyes and the child's screams of happiness echoed in the hall. The happier the kid was the more it hurt. Suddenly she sat up.

"I'll go to the TARDIS", she said to Donna. She looked at her worried.

"Are you alright?" she asked. For a moment Rose felt like snapping; of course she wasn't alright! But she swallowed her anger and nodded.

"Yeah. Don't worry."

"You want company?"

"No!" she said quite loudly. The father in the pool glanced at her and she lowered her voice. "No. Thanks, Donna, but I... I think I need to be alone for a moment."

"Well, you call if you need anything, okay?"

"Mommy!" the child yelled. "Mommy! Look when I jump!"

"Yeah", Rose said quickly and left before she'd really begin to cry.

#####

She pulled the TARDIS door closed behind her and leaned her back against it. She felt the familiar knot in her chest to tighten up. It had been there for years and it had gotten bigger and tighter the more she lost. And now that she was sitting there, on the ramp that lead to the console, she let herself miss every one of those who weren't in her life anymore. Mickey, her previous Doctor, her Dad, her Mum, all of her friends from Pete's world. The baby. The Master. She climbed up and went to her room, opened the drawer and took out the chain with the ring on it. She knew it was probably for nothing, but what had she to lose? She closed the ring into her palm and closed her eyes. Concentrated.

"Master?" she muttered out loud. "I don't know if you can hear me or if you're even there. But I just need to... I don't even know what I need."

She laid down to the bed with the ring inside of her fist and tried to find a way to connect with someone who didn't even exist anymore.

#####

Rose stood on a lawn somewhere that could've been Earth, but she wasn't sure. The Master was there, wearing black and looking dark and tired and different. They stared at each other for a second. Rose's heart started to beat faster. The Master was there. She didn't really care if this was a dream or flash of possible future or a fact that would happen. The Master was there, and somehow Rose felt a tiny bit better. Neither of them said a word.

"What's with the beard?" Rose finally asked. The Master touched his new facial hair.

"Don't you like it?"

"It makes you look... I don't know. Evil."

There was a moment of silence.

"Well, I am the villain, aren't I", he mused.

Rose blinked tears from her eyes. She hadn't even thought that seeing the Master would hurt this much. Seeing him reminded her of everything they had gone through together. And how she had lost him. She ended up losing everyone. "Is that really you?" she asked.

"I'd rather say I'm something that might be if..." his words faded away.

"If?"

"Time is flux, Rose, haven't you learnt that already?"

She swallowed and took a step closer. Then, without hesitation, she closed the gab between them and hugged him. "I've missed you."

He just stood there for a long while. Then he wrapped his arms around her and held her thightly against him. When she pulled away his eyes looked less dark.

"I was supposed to have a baby", she said after a long pause.

"Supposed to?"

"I had a miscarriage."

"Ah", he didn't exactly sound surprised. "So he hasn't told you then."

"Told me what?"

But before the Master could answer, the view went gold and she could see a humanoid creature with one blue eye on his forehead, hundreds of thousands of Daleks everywhere, several planets on the sky. Jack held a gun and nodded. 'You can trust me.' She saw Donna standing on a hill, dark and almost starless sky above her. 'I'm ready.' The Doctor laid on the bed. 'No better place to.'

She woke up sweaty and scared and sat up. She didn't really even care what the Bad Wolf had shown her. What was it that the Master had tried to tell him? Or more like what the Doctor hadn't told her? It had something to do with her miscarriage. Suddenly Rose felt cold. She stood, took a blue hoodie out of the closet and pulled it on, but it didn't help. Coldness was somewhere much deeper, it came from the idea that the Doctor didn't trust her. She had always known there were things he didn't tell her, a lot of things, a lot of nightmares he was having, a lot of feelings he was keeping from her. But that was all to protect his own vulnerability. Rose hadn't pushed him to speak about it, only told him she'd be there if he wanted to. But this was different. This was about her. This was about their child. So what was he keeping from her? She pulled her shoulders back and left the TARDIS to find the Doctor and confront him about this.

#####

But everything she felt like saying died on her lips when she saw the Doctor. He looked pale and hunted. Something had happened, something bad. He reached his hand to her and she walked past Donna and the Doctor pulled her into a hug.

"What happened?" she asked. He let go of her and took her hand instead, drank her warm presence in. She studied his mind, it felt a bit broken and cold, like there had been something that didn't belong there and it had left its claw marks on it. She swallowed.

"Is it gone?" she asked. The Doctor nodded. Rose hugged him again, tightly. "I'm here."

#####

Rose couldn't speak about the Master at that moment. The Doctor was tired and in somewhat a shock, so Rose didn't have a heart to question him right now. She curled next to him on the sofa stroking carefully the marks left in his mind. She told her what the Bad Wolf had showed her, even though there were little new, expect the assurance that it was Davros who was behind all of this.

"And Daleks", Rose sighed. "Again. They never really die, do they?"

"No, they don't."

"I'm sorry."

He hid his nose into her hair and breathed in her familiar scent. "Me, too."

Rose sniffed. "It's just... I can't help thinking everyone that I've lost. My Dad, Mickey, Mum, the Master, the baby..." she closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his. "How do you do it? How do you live with all this, with the memory of everyone you've lost?" She regretted her words when she felt the Doctor's discomfort leaking through their link. "I'm sorry."

He didn't answer, but Rose couldn't really blame him. She might have lost a lot, but the Doctor had lost more. She could feel it, the pain of his losses, every single one of them. They weighted on his mind, pushed him further away from her. She took her hands to his neck.

"I shouldn't have said that", she said regretfully.

"It's alright."

"No. I was being selfish. I haven't lost so much after all. I haven't lost you. That's what matters the most."

There was a long pause. The emotional storm in the Doctor's mind started to calm down.

"We met River. Donna and I. On Asgard", he said to change the subject.

Rose's heart leaped. Sorrow and guilt stung. She hadn't given River one thought after the Doctor had told her what had happened. She was obviously very important to her, and she hadn't even mourned her. How selfish of her. "What?"

"Yeah. She asked where you were and I... Well, she sent her love."

"Why didn't she come to say it herself?" Rose asked and wondered if the Doctor had told her not to. The Doctor, however, shrugged. "She said -"

"Spoilers", Rose guessed and the Doctor nodded.

"What was it that she showed you?" he asked. Rose shifted and tried to find words to explain the feeling of complete acknowledgment and understanding.

"I don't know. It was this link. This very strong link. Not like we have, not like I could have a telepathic conversation with her. But like... I can't really explain it. I felt like she was someone I had always known, like I had loved her all my life", she looked at the Doctor. "What do you think it was?"

"I don't know", the Doctor answered. "But I guess we will find out, eventually."

#####

The next morning Donna appeared into the kitchen carrying a suitcase. The Doctor put down her teacup and looked worriedly at Rose before talking to Donna.

"Are you leaving?" he sounded sad. "I thought you were having fun."

"I was. Am. And I'm not leaving", Donna said. "I thought to visit gramps. And Mum, I guess. Take a day or two with them. Give you two time to recover in peace. That's how you don't need to think about me at all. Take as long as you want, just come back to me in couple of days. Okay?"

"Donna, you don't have to go", Rose said. "We need you here."

"Oh, I know", Donna laughed. "You'd be screwed without me. But right now, you need to be alone. And talk."

Rose and the Doctor looked at each other and then at Donna, who smiled.

"I've made my mind", she said. "But just two days!"

"Yeah, two days", the Doctor said. "When do you want to be there?"

#####

They had landed at late afternoon in the end of June. The sky was clear. Rose breathed deeply in and out, letting the fresh air fill her lungs. Earth. She could visit the most beautiful and wonderful planets in the universe, but nothing could ever be as dear to her as Earth. Maybe it was because it was her home planet. Just like nothing would ever compare to Gallifery for the Doctor. She glimpsed at the man in question, who smiled at her.

"Donna! Donna, my girl!"

Rose turned. An old, whitehaired man waved from the hill above. The three of them started to climb up, Donna telling them how her grandfather used to go there to look at the stars. Something about the hill was familiar to Rose, and it took a while until she connected it to her vision. But in that vision, it had been night. She frowned lightly. Was it something important?

"Oh, Doctor!" the man said when they reached him. "We meet again."

"It's my pleasure, Wilf", the Doctor said smiling. "Er. This is my fiancé, Rose Tyler."

"Ooh, Rose, I've heard so much about you."

Rose, who hadn't expected that, was surprised.

"Really?"

"Donna talks a lot about you", he nodded. "I'm Wilfred Mott. Wilf, they call me."

"Nice to meet you, Wilf", Rose said, forcing a smile on her face and shaking the hand Wilf offered her. "I've heard a lot about you too."

"So", Donna hurried them. "You should go now, before I see Mum and change my mind."

So Rose and the Doctor said goodbye to Wilf, promised Donna that they'd be back in two days, and headed back to the TARDIS, closed the door and the Doctor sent them to the vortex. There was a moment of silence.

"What would you like to do?" the Doctor asked. Rose shrugged.

"Don't know."

"You're not... still blaming yourself, are you?"

Rose looked up at him and blinked quickly.

"The Bad Wolf", she said and sniffed. "It must be because of that, yeah?"

"No, Rose, it's not because of that."

"It has to be!" Rose said, her voice raising. "The Bad Wolf somehow thought that the baby was a... an enemy or something and... or when my body temperature rose because of her, when she burnt off the fingers from Dave... or..."

"Rose, the Bad Wolf doesn't exist", the Doctor said. The words died on Rose's lips. She frowned. She started to feel angry. What was he going on about?

"What do you mean, of course she exists!"

"No, she doesn't. There's no Bad Wolf, Rose. There's no living entity inside you. You are the Bad Wolf."

There was a long pause.

"What?" Rose stuttered. "But... But you said... on the Valiant. You said that there's Bad Wolf living inside of me."

"Yes. Well, that was before we knew any better. Before we knew how completely all of that was in you. Bad Wolf doesn't only live in you, she isn't just some entity inside you. She's you. You're her. You're the one and same person."

"But why haven't I been able to control her?"

"It takes time. For now all that power comes out when you most need it to come out. Your subconscious is in control."

"But I killed Huston."

The Doctor frowned. "Who's Huston?"

"My guard during the time I spent with the Master."

"Oh. Right. Him", he said with spite. "You were scared and angry and you didn't really know how powerful you are. I guess it just ran out of your hands."

"What if it ran out of my hands in the Library? What if it's..." suddenly she understood something. "The Master said that... he didn't seem surprised that I had a miscarriage. Was it because of that?"

There was a long pause. "What are you not telling me?" Rose insisted. The Doctor seemed to consider what to say next. Rose knew he wanted to ask how she knew what the Master had said, but didn't think he should. So he sighed and closed his eyes.

"It's my fault", The Doctor said heavily.

Rose frowned. "What do you mean?"

He didn't look at Rose like it was too difficult. "I haven't been completely honest with you on something", he said. Rose's heart sank and she started to feel cold. There was a touch of pure fear in her mind that mixed with hers, but it was a different kind of a fear. The Doctor's grip of her hand tightened for a while, like he was gathering his strength to tell her what ever he needed to tell.

"What?" Rose asked when he didn't seem to find words.

"It's this thing with the Time Lords. They... well, millennials ago there was a lot of miscarriages among Time Lords. And when I say a lot I mean that all of the pregnancies ended up to miscarriage. All of them, Rose."

It took a while until the words found their way into Rose's mind. She frowned.

"All of them?" she asked. "Then how -?"

"We were loomed. That means that we were kind of created. Kind of like humans and their IVF. But that doesn't really matter. What matters is that Time Lords made it so that we couldn't have children naturally. So... so when you got pregnant... That shouldn't have been even possible. Anyway", he took a sharp breath. "So it's my fault."

He fell silent and waited for Rose to react. She waited for the words to sink in so that she could think about them.

"So was it because of that?" she finally whispered.

"Maybe. Probably. Most likely. Yes", he was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry. I should've told you."

"Yeah", Rose said and cleared her throat. She moved away from him. "You should've."

She stood, her heart aching for the scars ripped open, and left the room.

#####

When Rose dropped his hand, the emptiness in the Doctor's head felt endless. What had he done, why hadn't he said something earlier, why hadn't he stopped this happening, why hadn't he done something? Questions, or more like self-blame, crossed in his mind with spectacular speed, even in his scale. He ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed his face. What should he do now, should he go and talk to Rose, did she even want to see him now if ever again?

"What do you think, old girl?" he muttered, patting the coral. The TARDIS made a low and sad note. The Doctor decided it meant 'no' or at least 'not yet' and sat down, only to stand up again and walking up and down the console room.

#####

About half an hour later, and after he just couldn't take it anymore, he asked the TARDIS where Rose was and followed the corridor his faithful spacheship showed him. He found Rose from the bedroom, but instead of pretending to be asleep in the bed, she was sitting on the floor with her knees up and her head down.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked sheepisly. Rose looked at him. She didn't smile but there was warmth in her brown eyes and it made the burden on his shoulders that much lighter. He relaxed and had courage to sit next to her on the floor.

"The thing is", he began, looking at his toes. "That I was too happy and thinking the worst... What I am saying is that... I've lost everything. And I guess that I was just too scared to risk it, or to think of the risk of losing it all again", he paused. "And by telling about it... I know I should've but I was scared that... that telling about it would somehow make it more likely."

She looked at him with such a compassion he felt he didn't deserve. He was a loser and a coward, had always been, and he so didn't deserve this amazing, brilliant woman next to him. He turned away and sighed.

"I know you hate hearing me to say this but I'm sorry. I really am."

He felt her warm hand slip into his and more felt than heard her forgiveness. Where did she found the strength to forgive him over and over again? Why did she do it? What had he ever done to her to earn this?

"Thank you for telling me", she said. "I love you."

He smiled weakly at her and her smile was just as weak but at least it was a smile and he was happy about that. He squeezed her hand.

"I love you too", he said. Her smile was brigther less than a second but it meant world to him. He pulled her to a hug and they stayed like that for a long time.

#####

 **A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to the Master's beard. Just kidding, I hated it. And you know what? What Moffat did to (my cinnamonroll) Master was something so horrible that I took it almost as a personal insult. I've grown to love my Master so much that the changes that was done to the Master from season 4 to this inhuman creature was HORRIFYING. So here I am, trying to save what is to be saved. But does that mean the Master's back? Maybe, maybe not.


	23. Crossroads

**A/N:** Hello there, my readers! I have to say, writing this chapter made me somehow so sad. And if there's still those amongwho read Sound of Heartbeats, I think you're gonna like (and hate) this chapter.

I'd like to thank once again my faithful Beta KatarinaR!

Please leave a note to tell me what you thought!

 **Disclaimer:** No, I don't own anything.

 **Crossroads**

The visions of the probable future started to hunt Rose in her dreams again. She remembered how she had had them before and during the year that never was. Then they had been trying to tell her something. And if the Doctor was right and the Bad Wolf wasn't a person of her own, she should learn how to control the power she had. And she could as well start from the basics.

"Doctor, can I ask you something?" she asked one afternoon.

"Yeah, sure" the Doctor's voice came from under the console. "What is it? If it's something to do with that turmeric tea, just let me to remind you that it was my turn to pick up the new flavour to taste."

"It has nothing to do with the turmeric tea, although I do wonder what an Earth made you pick up that, when there was that flavour with that amazing alien orange."

"It's not my fault that you like sour tea."

"It's not sour when it's in a tea!"

The Doctor popped his head up from below the console. He was wearing his glasses and his hair was really messy from his running his fingers through it repeatedly. Rose lifted her eyebrows.

"Everything alright down there?"

"Yeah, fine", the Doctor said, climbed up and wiped his oily hands into a towel. He looked so much like an ordinary human that Rose had to remind herself, once again, that he wasn't. Or that she wasn't, either.

"What was it that you wanted to ask?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, yeah. It's about the Bad Wolf."

"Oh, okay", the Doctor said. "I help you where I can, but as you're basically the only Bad Wolf in existence... Well, not only basically, because you _are_ the only Bad Wolf in existence..."

Rose smiled. They were slowly slipping back to normal. And even though it still hurt, it wasn't horrible pain but more like a constant ache that she acknowledged but didn't think so much anymore. It had been easier to the Doctor, but he had gone through more loss, so maybe he had gotten used to the pain. What a horrible thought. Rose shook it off.

"It's about the control", she said. "Mainly about the visions. You see the future and all the possibilities it holds, yeah?"

The Doctor nodded, put the towel away and sat next to Rose, waiting for her to continue.

"How do you know if something's fixed or flux?" she blurted out. It was better to just say it straight; there was no reason to circle around it. "How do you know when you're able to make decisions to change something?"

The Doctor was quiet for a while.

"The thing is, that us Time Lords, we see it all the time. It's not like with you, they're not flashes or come through dreams. They exist all the time."

"But how?" Rose insisted. "How can I know that what I've seen... if there's a way to change it, or if it's meant to happen?"

"There's one thing you could try", the Doctor said. "Close your eyes."

She did as told and waited for the Doctor to help her like he had in the Valiant. But he didn't touch her. She needed to do this on her own.

"Now, imagine the thing you need to have the answer for. Close everything else behind the doors and leave just that one thought out. Can you do that?"

Rose pushed every other thought behind doors and imagined only one thing; Dalek Caan saying 'One will die!', because that was something that made her most scared.

"Okay. Now what?"

"Imagine that thought as a road."

It sounded strange, but Rose tried it anyway.

"Now. If you can see the road to cross, there are more than one possibility."

"And if I can't?"

"Well, then... then it's a fixed point."

Rose squeesed her eyes shut and tried to find a crossroad. There wasn't one. She felt tears burning under her shut eyelids. She swallowed.

"Well?" the Doctor asked. "Is it working?"

She swallowed again. "Yeah, I guess. Thanks."

She opened her eyes and forced a smile to her lips. There was no use telling the Doctor something he could do nothing about. Especially if it was about him. Because who else could it be? She had seen the Doctor dying. It wasn't that hard to connect the dots. The Doctor probably saw that something was wrong, but Rose didn't want to talk about it. She hopped down from the jump seat.

"Turmeric tea, huh? Well, let's go and give it a go."

#####

That night, like she hadn't learnt from before, Rose took the ring out of the drawer, shut her eyes and picked up another thought. The road was narrow but it crossed several times. She stood there, on the crossroad, and felt desperation to fill her.

"How can I know which one to choose?" she whispered. She squeesed the ring in her hand. "Help me."

She wasn't sure if it was a dream, reality or just one possibility, but suddenly the Master was there. He looked at her.

"Still hanging in that thought, Rosie?" he asked. His voice sent cold shivers up her spine; it was the tone he had used with her when they had first met, and which had then softened and, in the end, dropped away completely.

"I wasn't, not for a while", she said. "But then I lost the baby. And it all came back. I don't want to lose everyone. I don't want to lose you."

"So here you are, in a crossroad", the Master said. "It won't help you. It won't tell you what to do, or which thing is right."

"But one of them is this?" Rose said. "One of them means you're alive again? You are alive, aren't you?"

"I'm not alive, Rose. This is one possibility. The one where the Time Lords fix me", he said and a twisted smile grew on his face.

"The Time Lords", Rose repeated. "But they're dead. How can they fix you if they're dead?"

"Fixed and flux, Rosie, fixed and flux", he mocked.

"But -" Rose began, but the Master interrupted her.

"I'm all they wanted, they created me", he said darkly and his eyes turned black. "I'm the new, improved Master, the solider to stand in their front lines, the one to send to take down the Doctor", he bowed his head mockingly. "And his beloved Wolf."

Rose swallowed. "But this isn't you."

"This is exactly me. Every story needs a hero, a maiden and a villain. And here we have a hero", he nodded towards her, "the Doctor as the maiden and me aka the villain", he smiled proudly at his jab, but Rose couldn't laugh.

"You're not a villain, Master", she said.

"What am I then? A comedy sidekick?" his temper started to crack.

"No. You're a hero. You just haven't found your own story."

The anger poured out of him visibly; his shoulders sagged, his eyes got warmer.

"Don't you miss it? Being alive?" Rose whispered.

"You have to let me go", the Master said as an answer.

"But how? I don't know what to do with the ring, which road should I take? How do I let you go."

The Master was quiet for a long time. When he spoke, he sounded different than Rose had ever heard him before.

"Maybe letting me go has nothing to do with what you'll do with the ring", he said.

Rose blinked hard. She gave him a weak smile. "When did you become so smart?"

"Oh, about couple thousand years ago", the Master grinned. Rose shook her head and walked to him.

"No, I meant this kind of smart. This has nothing to do with your brain", she said and tapped his forehead. "But it had everything to do with your hearts", she placed her hands on his chest, above both of his hearts. "And you know what that kind of smartness means? It means you're not the villain."

"Rose", he said and fell quiet, like he didn't know how to go on. He shook his head. "All the possibilities, but none of them end the way I want."

"What do you want, then?"

"I want to tell you my name."

Rose woke up startling, the ring squeesed into her fist, heart racing and tears in her eyes.

#####

She didn't say a word about it to the Doctor. She wasn't sure if it was lying, maybe it was, but what would telling him help? How would it change anything? There was one thing though, that made her think. The Master had said that there was a chance that the Time Lords weren't dead. Rose had no idea how that was possible in any alternative future, but it seemed that it was. But which one was it? And was it a fixed or a flux point? When she thought about it, her head started to ache and the road went blurry so she couldn't see if it crossed or not. It was scary; to have all this power in her hands and still be unable to use it. But she knew one thing. She could never tell the Doctor about the Time Lords, she wouldn't do that to him, she wouldn't give him false hope.

#####

There was one thing that they needed to do. Rose had given it a lot of thought, but chickened out every time she tried to talk about it. But one night, after a long day spent in Tulá saving the King from assassins, she made a suggestion.

"We should bury him."

The Doctor looked up from his tea cup.

"You think so?"

"Yeah", she said. "I mean... we need closure", she swallowed. "I think that we should give him a proper burial. A headstone. Things like that."

The Doctor hesitated. "There's one thing", he said regretfully. "You know, since he's part Time Lord..."

Rose realised where he was going and nodded. "I get it. We need to burn him, just like the Master."

"Yeah. Just... just in case."

Rose took a deep breath and nodded again.

"You know, we never gave him a name", she said. "So, if there's a headstone, there should also be a name."

They looked at each other for a moment. Rose swallowed.

"I thought... I thought that maybe we could name him after you."

"After me?" the Doctor repeated confused. "I don't think we should name him 'the Doctor'."

"No", Rose said quickly, "not 'the Doctor'."

A silence followed her words. The Doctor looked a bit scared. "No", he said then. "Bad idea."

"Why?" Rose asked.

"Because, Rose, my name is one of the biggest secrets of the universe. I can't write it down to anyone to read."

"We could write it in Gallifreyan", Rose said quickly. "I mean, if that's what you're worried about. No one would know what it says", she thought for a moment the Time Lords that, in some version of the reality, weren't dead, but shook it off. The Doctor shook his head. Rose gave up.

"Okay. How about Peter? Or Tony?" Rose tilted her head. "Jack? Michael? Jimmy?" she gave him a small grin. "Adam?"

The Doctor huffed. "Why are you suggesting the names of your ex boyfriends?"

"Because you're not giving me any names", Rose answered.

"And all the names you can come up with are either your relatives or guys you're snogged?"

"Okay, you do know I was kidding with Jimmy and Adam, yeah?"

The Doctor smiled a bit. Rose sighed and stood up. She walked over to the Doctor and sat in his lap, wrapping his arms around her neck and hiding her face in his shoulder . "I wish we wouldn't have to make this decision like this", she mumbled. "I just wish we could've named our living son, not a dead one."

"I know. Me too."

Rose played with the Doctor's short neck hair.

"Maybe we shouldn't name him after anyone. Just pick up any name. You know, something that sounds nice. Like... I don't know... Daniel."

"Théoden", the Doctor said at the same time."

"Théoden? Like from Lord of the Rings?"

"Yeah. I liked him."

"Okay, but how about turning it into something non-fictional. Like Theodore."

"Theodore", the Doctor tasted the name. "Hmm. Yeah. I like that. Theodore Daniel Tyler."

Rose smiled. "I think we have a name."

"Yeah?"

Rose kissed him softly. It was their first kiss after what had happened, and it made her feel good. The sorrow felt less heavy when shared. They really should share it more. That would be the best way to move on.

#####

It was a short funeral. Neither of them knew what to say, and speaking felt somehow unnatural. They just held hands, drinking each other's presence to get through it. The small fire lightened up the dark night sky as they watched the small box to catch flames. Rose closed her eyes and held her breath. She felt the Doctor sending her all the strength he could, and did her best to do the same to him. They needed each other now more than ever. Rose swallowed.

"We should make sure this doesn't happen again", she whispered.

"What do you mean?"

She didn't find the words, but the Doctor found them out from her thoughts.

"Are you sure?"

"It was because of that, wasn't it?" she asked. "Because you can't have children?"

This time it was Rose who read the answer from the Doctor's thoughts.

"Then we don't have a choice", she said. "I can't... if it happens again... You can do it, can't you?"

The Doctor hesitated.

"Can't you?" Rose demanded.

"Yeah", he said with a small voice.

Neither of them spoke after that, not when they watched the fire to weaken and die, not when they walked back into the TARDIS, not when the Doctor made sure that Rose could never have a child either. But they held hands the whole time to make each other sure that it was okay, that they understood each other and they'd never leave each other alone.

#####

The sorrow came in waves. Sometimes they were small, sometimes big, and sometimes, mostly when she woke up in the middle of the night in her own scream, it came as a tsunami. She cried a lot. She cried so much she got sick of crying. But sometimes there were times when it wasn't so bad. It wasn't that she didn't remember it all the time, but sometimes it wasn't the only thing in her mind. And sometimes it wasn't even the first. Those were the times she and the Doctor went somewhere, saved someone, ran and exploded something. The times that she felt a jolt of joy from the Doctor brush her mind. The Doctor helped her so much that it started to go out of his character; talking and listening and talking some more. She appreciated it all.

"Tell me if there's anything I can do to make you feel better", the Doctor said. Rose shook her head and the tears just kept pouring down. The Doctor pulled her gently to his arms. "I mean it Rose. Anything."

"I just..." she swallowed and dried her eyes. "I just want my Mum", and she broke into tears again. "I know it's not gonna happen. But... I just miss her so much."

"I know", he sighed. She buried her face against his jersey and breathed in his special scent that was a mix of the TARDIS and new worlds and just plain Doctor. It was comforting and at the same time it made her miss the smell of her home and her mother and everything associated with that. She knew how it made him feel, it leaked through even though he tried to stop it.

"I'm sorry", she muttered, pulling off and wiped her eyes.

"Rose", he said and cupped her cheek. "I think that it might be... I mean. If we are very careful."

"What?"

"To go and see Jackie before the War of Canary Wharf."

"What?" Rose said again.

"You don't look any older. She would never know. But that would mean that we couldn't say the reason of our visit or... we can't risk it, Rose. So if you still want to. I mean. If that would make you feel better."

She leaned closer and kissed him softly and when she pulled off she smiled.

"Thank you."

#####

Very careful, the Doctor thought. He had to calculate the exact time they could arrive at Powel Estate, so they wouldn't be there too soon after their last visit, but not after the cybermen-ghosts had started to appear either. It gave them about seven weeks. Damn, Rose went home often. Why did he let her go there all the time? Since when had he started to think Rose's family as his family? Since when had he gone to his companion's family's to have tea and biscuits? Especially if the biscuits were homemade by one Jackie Tyler? Rose sat on the jump seat with an expression that was a mix of sadness, excitement and agony.

"Alright-y then!" the Doctor exclaimed to cheer up the atmosphere. "On we go, to meet the mother-in-law who shall never find out she actually is a mother-in-law and tell her nothing at all", he paused. "You do realise we can't tell her anything?"

"Yeah."

"Otherwise we risk the timelines to change completely."

"I know."

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Well, then. You know the word", he gave her a grin and was happy when Rose answered to it, even if her smile was a weak one. "Allons-y!"

#####

Jackie had never liked the idea of Rose traveling through time and space with that man, that Doctor, who always seemed to take her into trouble. But she had to admit that ever since Rose had left with him she had bloomed. And as little as Jackie liked it, and she was so much happier with him than she had ever been with her. It broke her heart a little and at the same time she was really happy for her. And it was strange, because she hated the Doctor. Okay, she didn't hate this Doctor as much as the one that was before him, the one wearing that leather jacket and who didin't come in for tea. But ever the same, the Doctor took her daughter away from her and it was wrong. So every time Rose came for a visit Jackie did her best to make Rose stay. She never did and Jackie was never surprised. So when she heard the TARDIS engines or whatever they were just a couple weeks after their last visit she was surprised and scared and rushed to the Livingroom and waited for the machine to appear completely and the door to open. Rose stepped out and, before saying a word, she ran to her and crashed against her chest and began to cry.

"Rose, sweetheart, what is it?" Jackie asked scared. She didn't answer and the door opened again and the Doctor stepped out, looking dark and sad. "Doctor?" she asked, holding Rose in her arms. "What is it? Where were you? What happened?"

He looked at her and then away, sniffed and looked like he really didn't want to talk about it.

"Doctor?" she insisted.

"We just lost someone", the Doctor said silently and moved his eyes to the floor and Jackie knew, she knew, that they had lost someone very important, someone very dear, and she was scared.

"Was it... was it me?"

"No, Jackie, it wasn't you."

Rose pulled away from her mother's arms and wiped her eyes. "Sorry", she muttered. "It's just -"

"Rose, you can't tell her anything", the Doctor interrupted.

Jackie wasn't having it. Rose was her daughter, and she was upset. "What do you mean, she can't tell me? I am her mother, Doctor. Who are you?"

"I am her fiancé!"

A silence followed his words. The Doctor looked regretful. Rose looked stunned. Jackie looked from one to another with her mouth open. What had that man just said? She must've imagined it. This was some kind of a nightmare.

"What?"

"Nothing", the Doctor said. "I said nothing."

"You're engaged?" she grabbed Rose's left hand. There was no ring. Maybe she had herad wrong.

"He... hm, he hasn't given me a ring yet", Rose said and shot a glare at the Doctor, who rubbed his neck embarrassed.

"Since when have you been engaged? And didn't you think you should ask me if it was okay?" Jackie took a threatening step towards the Doctor, who backed off.

"Er..." he glimpsed at Rose, who went to him and took his hand. They looked at each other for several seconds. If Jackie hadn't known better, she would've thought they were having a silent conversation. The Doctor frowned and shook his head.

"What's going on?" Jackie demanded to know.

"Fine", the Doctor said. "I guess you might be right."

"Right about what?" Jackie insisted.

"Mum", Rose said gently and went to her. "We're going to tell you something, but you have to promise you're never gonna mention it to anyone. Not even to us, if we see you again."

"What're you talking about, Sweetheart? What do you mean, if we see again?"

Rose looked at the Doctor, who sighed.

"We are out of our timeline, Jackie", he said. "But it's not because you're dead."

#####

They told everything to Jackie. The Doctor wasn't so sure if it was a good idea, but Rose was insistent. She thought that Jackie knew, the Jackie in the future, in the Pete's world. Because that Jackie had been so sure Rose would find her way back. The Doctor could've argued, but he knew they had crossed the line already. They had to tell Jackie what had happened, but the Doctor told her she could never ever tell them what would happen. Not ever. Or he would need to wipe her mind. Telling Jackie was a huge risk. He knew it, and if there weren't for Rose and her eyes and her bleeding words in his mind, he would've refused. But what can you do, as there were all of them, he had never been able to resist Rose when she got like this. So they sat down, Rose's hand holding his, and told Jackie about what had happened to Rose, about the engagement and about the baby that would never exist. They didn't tell her why they were out of their timeline, as the Doctor thought that would be too much of a risk, so Jackie just had to trust them that she'd be alright in the future.

"So you're telling me that you did some weird alien things to make my daughter to live as long as that box in my Livingroom?" Jackie's voice was rising.

"I didn't do that", the Doctor argued. "She did that all by herself when she went and opened the heart of the TARDIS."

Rose, who was holding his hand, knew that in his mind he added 'And you helped her to do it.' She didn't wonder why he didn't dare to say it out loud.

"So she's going to outlive every single person in her life?"

"Er. Yeah."

"That's not right, Doctor. It just isn't right. You need to fix it somehow."

"Mum", Rose interrupted. "It's okay. I can be with the Doctor."

"But you're a human", Jackie said and started to cry. "You're not supposed to live thousands of years."

"I'm not human anymore", Rose answered. She let go of the Doctor's hand and wrapped her arms around her mother. "It's fine. I'm fine."

"Is that why you can't have children?"

Rose glimpsed at the Doctor, who took a deep breath and let it out before talking.

"No. It's a Time Lord thing", he said. "I can't have children", he got ready to be slapped. But to his surprise, Jackie let go of Rose and moved to hug him too. "Oh. Right. Yeah."

"You big, stupid pulm", she cried against his shoulder. "Why did you have to show up into my daughter's life?"

"Okay, you can let go now, Jackie. Jackie. Let go", he half pushed her aside and watched her wipe tears from her cheeks. During those years he had visited Jackie Tyler more times than he actually had cared for, and he had actually grown to like this woman. Well, maybe 'like' was a bit too strong word. More like stand her. Get on with her. Anyway, now that she was crying because of what had happened to Rose but was still sorry for him not being able to have children, he almost loved her. Almost. He couldn't stress that word enough. Jackie sniffed.

"So, when's the wedding?"

#####

It took all the strength Rose had left to leave her mother behind once again. Especially now that she had only went to see her to tell her how miserable she was and then go and step into the TARDIS knowing she'd never see her again. Rose sat down while the Doctor sent them into the vortex and tried to convince herself that right now, in Pete's World, Jackie was happy. She had Pete and Tony and she was completely happy.

"So!" the Doctor said to cut the silence and to take both of their minds of all the tears that had been poured at the Tyler household. "What's next? There's a meteor rain in Rym starting in an hour. Or how about another try with the Spice Girls? Ooh, they had the first part alien crowning in 5089! That's a historic event", he looked at Rose, who gave him a weak smile.

"The longest and highest roller-coaster of 32th century?" he suggested feebly.

"I think I go to bed if you don't mind."

She left the console room and went to her room, pulled off her jeans and dived under the blankets. A couple minutes later she heard the Doctor to step into the room and soon he curled next to her. She moved closer so she could touch him, feel his presence in her mind so they could share their sorrow. She kissed him carefully.

"Thank you."

#####

There was just one another thing Rose felt like she needed to do to be able to move on with her life. And it was to say goodbye to the Master. She hadn't done it, not really, she had thought that she could just forget all that had happened during those years she had known the Master. So when they were floating in the vortex and the Doctor was tinkering with the console, Rose locked the door and took out the ring, closed it into her fist and squeesed her eyes shut. It was easy, maybe the Bad Wolf in her was helping, but she soon found herself standing from the same place as the time before.

"Hello", she said to the Master.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

Rose swallowed.

"I just wanted to say goodbye. Properly this time."

"Well, goodbye", the Master said and waved his hand weakly.

"I really wouldn't want it to be like this", Rose whispered. "I don't want you to hate me."

"Hate you?" the Master said. "Oh, Rose, I could never hate you. I've tried, oh, how much I've tried. There was a time that I wanted to hate you. Then there was a time I needed to hate you. But I couldn't."

Rose smiled weakly. "You know, it's so nice to hear someone you love to say how much they wanted to hate you."

There was a silence that made everything around them to stop. The Master opened his mouth and closed it then. Rose realised what she had just said and blushed slightly.

"It's not like you didn't know", she mumbled to her shoes.

"I didn't."

She couldn't tell for sure, but she thought she hear him sniff. But when he spoke, his voice was calm and almost cold.

"You'd still choose the Doctor, wouldn't you?"

Rose looked up at him.

"Yeah", she admitted.

"Then why would I care?"

"Because it doesn't make me love you any less", Rose said softly. "Why I love you or how I love you, or even how much I love you have nothing to do with my love for the Doctor. You're dear to me, Master, and you always will be. Whether you're dead or alive."

"But you'd still choose the Doctor!" the Master said again, louder.

Tears came to Rose's eyes and she blinked them away. "I'm sorry", she whispered.

The Master dropped his head and sighed deeply. They were silent for a long time. Then the Master sighed again.  
"So, this is a goodbye then", he said, his head still bent low.

"Yeah."

"Then can I tell you something?"

"You can tell me anything."

"You can never tell what I say to anyone", the Master said seriously. "Not even to the Doctor."

"I won't."

The Master looked around like being scared that there might be someone to listen. The he stepped closer and whispered something into Rose's ear. It was just one word, or something that possibly was a word, and Rose knew in her heart what it was. Rose blinked and the tears she had been holding back the whole time dropped.

"Thank you", she said. The Master held her close with his eyes tightly closed, as if holding back tears.

"Let me go", he almost begged. "Just let me be dead. Forget me. Stop doing this to me. Just leave me alone", his voice started to crack, and Rose took his face between her hands and kissed him softly to the lips, and slowly let go of the vision, let it slip through her fingers and vanish. She wiped tears from her cheeks, stood and went to the console room. She walked down the ramp, opened the door and looked out. They were in the vortex, and it sparkled and breathed around them. Rose held her breath and threw the ring out. She looked it floating there, circling around itself, closed the door, slid down and burst into tears. The Doctor climbed up from below the console.

"Rose, what is it? What happened?"

She just shook her head. The Doctor kneeled before her and laid his hands on her knees. She couldn't exactly keep it as a secret, not all of it. She didn't let the Doctor know that the Master had told her his name, but everything else was open. She felt the Doctor to stiffen a bit to the knowledge of the kiss, but Rose needed to let him know.

"Sorry", she whispered. He only shook his head. "I just needed... It's over now. For everyone. It's over. I'm sorry."

The Doctor leaned in to kiss Rose's forehead. "It's okay."

#####

That night was a silent one. There were too much to say to say anything, so they just laid there and stared at the sealing.

"Doctor?" Rose whispered into the darkness.

"Yeah?"

"Are you ever going to tell me your name?"

"Yes."

The answer came without a hesitation, and Rose's heart made an extra bounce. "You are?"

"Of course I am", he said like she was asking something stupid. Rose rolled on her side to face the Doctor. He looked at her with a serious expression.

"You know, the thing with our names, the Time Lords'", he began. "It's that they're secrets to everyone else but us. We've had nickname, like... like when the Master had Koschei and I had Theta. And when we graduated from the Time Academy, we choose our names. That's when I chose to be called the Doctor. But the name that we are given when we are born, that's the secret. Not everyone tends to keep them that way, or they reveal only part of their name. But you see, when I left Gallifrey, the name, my real name, was the only thing that still tied me to my home. And as time passed by, it came harder and harder for me to tell it", he paused to think for a moment. "It's not like you'd be able to pronounce it", he mused to himself.

Rose waited for a while to be sure he wasn't going to continue. "You don't have to tell it to me, if you don't want to", she said.

"I want to", he answered. "When the time is right."

#####

Couple days later they were in a market square of an alien planet, when the ground started to shake. Then everything turned upside down, Rose felt like she couldn't breath, and when her feet finally touched ground, she dropped to her knees. She felt nauseated.

"Woah, what was that?" she said before standing up and looking around. Her heart skipped. She wasn't where she had just been. She was stading in a place that was really familiar, althought she hadn't seen it for years. And she didn't see the Doctor. Instead in front of her stood Mickey, Pete and Jake.


	24. Righting Wrongs

**A/N:** Hello! I know it's been a long, long while since I last published. And I'm so sorry, I've been just super busy and blah blah. Anyway, here's the next chapter, hope you like it! Tell me what you think :) I'd appriciate it alot.

Once again a big hand to my Beta KatarinaR!

 **Disclaimer:** What can I say? Nothing new.

 **Righting Wrongs**

Rose stared at the people in front of her. What? How? What?

"Didn't work, did it?" Pete said. "What do we need to change?"

Rose tried to get a hold of what was going on. She couldn't. She just pushed the button of the dimension cannon again without thinking. Nothing happened. Of course, because it took half an hour for it to upload.

"Give me your cannon", she said holding her hand out to Pete.

"What?" he was confused. "What happened?"

"Give it to me!" Rose demanded. "I need to go back. I have no idea why I'm here. I found him. I was there for ages. We were... What happened? I didn't even have the cannon with me."

"What happened?" Pete asked again. "You found him? Where? When? Did you tell him what was going on?"

"I need to get back there. I don't know what happened, but I need to get back there. Give me your cannon", she said again. And as Pete didn't react, she turned to the others. "Mickey."

"No", he said firmly. "Remember what happened last time you did two jumps without the rest? I'm not risking it."

"I will", Rose said. "I need to go back to find out what's going on. Please. Give me the cannon."

Mickey didn't, but Jake handed out his.

"Thank you", she said, put it on and pushed the button, let the world turn around and around.

#####

Her feet met the ground and she took a couple of steps to keep her balance. She held back a wave of nausea as a headache began at the base of her skull. The air felt cold. It was night. She saw UNIT guards standing nearby, so she took a shot and went to the nearest one.

"Hey, I'm looking for -"

"Sorry, Ma'am, I can't help you. You have to stay back", he turned to see the crowd. "Everyone, stay back. The Thames has been closed. Return to your homes. Keep away from the river, and that's an order."

Rose, who had never been good at listening to even the Doctor's orders, rounded the trucks and stopped. The building near her was on fire. Her heart started to bounce. Was the Doctor in there? She saw Donna standing there looking at the fire. It made sense; if the Doctor had found Rose gone, surely he had gone to Donna for help. And when she saw something that stopped her heart dead. A body on a stretcher. She ran, reached Donna and forced herself to stop.

"What happened?" she gasped. "Is the Doctor there?" she asked, not completely able to stop the panic leak through her voice.

"They talked about a bloke called a doctor, or something", Donna answered like it didn't really matter. What was wrong with her?  
"Well, where is he?" she demanded, eyes fixed on the stretcher. He couldn't be there. He couldn't be the body. He was on his TARDIS ready to take off before the dust landed.  
"They took him away", Donna said absentmindedly. "He's dead", she said and looked at Rose, who didn't look back. She just tried to breathe. Donna's words vanished into the sound of rushing blood in Rose's ears.  
"But he can't be", she muttered, not really talking to Donna. She needed something else to think than the Doctor, dead, under a white blanket. Donna said something, but she didn't hear. She didn't even try to listen. The UNIT-men started to push the stretcher away. Rose ran, she didn't care Donna calling after her. She didn't care the guards trying to stop her. She ran straight to the body covered with blanket and pulled it away. Her heart stopped for several beats. She couldn't breathe.

"No", she whispered. The Doctor laid there, pale and cold and wet and still. "No, don't you dare", she said, took his hand and tried to find the way into his mind, but it, too, was cold and still and dead. There was nothing, not even emptiness. It was like she was trying to communicate with a stone.

"Miss, I'm sorry, but you have to move", a young guard said.

"Go away", Rose said.

"We must -"

"I said go away!" Rose snapped and she felt a sting behind her left eye she hadn't felt for a long time, the view went yellow and she more felt than heard a word 'left' echoing in her mind. The guard, who had taken a hold of her arm, let go suddenly, a look of terror on his face . "Doctor, please." She noticed the screwdriver, still in his fist, and took a hold of his hand. "Help me", she whispered. Nothing. "Tea", she said and looked up at the guards, who were gathering around her. "Give him tea. He needs tea."

"I'm sorry, miss", one of the guards said. "He's dead."

"No, he's... he can't..."

"Excuse me!" came a voice and Rose looked up. A blonde man in his late forties stood above her looking angry. Mace, she realised. "Who are you?"

"Doesn't matter", Rose said. "What about you?"

He blushed and Rose couldn't tell if it was for ittetation or confusion.

"You have no authorities of being here", he said.

"No", she whispered. "Not anymore..."

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Who let you pass?"

The younger UNIT guard ran to them, tried to explain Rose's presence. She didn't stay to listen, but took the sonic screwdriver from the Doctor's hand, turned away and ran, someone called after her but she ran and grabbed Donna's hand before she even noticed it, pulling her to follow her.

"Hey! Let go! What do you think you're doing!"

Rose stopped but didn't let go.

"I could ask you the same! Where the hell were you?"

"What?" Donna said, too puzzled to be rude or angry. "What's it to do with you? Who are you?"

"Donna!"

"How do you know my name?"

"What -?" Rose paused and she felt how the last drop of hope drain out of her. "You don't -? What year is it?"

"What?"

"What year is it?" Rose repeated.

"Christmas, 2006."

"2006", Rose muttered. What had happened 2006? She had watched the news with the Master, the web like star in the sky, the Thames had been drained... "Of course. The Racnoss... but how -? Doesn't matter. 2006. And you weren't there."

"Do you need an ambulance?" Donna asked. Rose looked at her. Donna didn't know who she was. She hadn't met the Doctor. She hadn't been there to stop him from getting killed. Something had change and everything had changed and Rose didn't know what to do.

"No", she whispered. "I shouldn't even be here. This is wrong. It's wrong. This is so wrong", she took a deep breath and looked at Donna. "Sorry. I'm a bit... he was my..." But he wasn't because he had ended up dead before she had found her way back. She took another deep breath. Then she saw it. Or she didn't see it, but she knew it was there. She didn't know what it was but there was something on Donna's back, something she couldn't see. Something that had built a whole universe around Donna. And that something on Donna's back had just killed the Doctor. She hated that thing.

"Why do you keep looking at my back?" Donna asked quite rudely.

"I'm not", Rose said quickly, snapping her eyes to Donna's.

"Yes, you are. You keep looking behind me!" Donna said angrily. Donna was supposed to be with the Doctor, be angry at the Doctor, so he would leave the basement in time. And that something - "You're doing it now!" Donna said loudly and Rose startled. "What is it? What's there? Did someone put something on my back?" she tried to see her own back. And while she looked another way, Rose pushed the button of her dimension cannon and the world turned upside down. Her head started to ache and the word 'left' came screaming to her. Left. Why left? What did anything have to do with left? And her feet met the ground and the nausea and the headache and the horrible, painful grief hit her so powerfully that she vomited.

"Rose!" Pete's voice carried to her as she vomited. "Rose, what happened? Are you okay?"

"I was too late", Rose answered wiping her mouth. "I don't know what happened... I was there in a different time, a time that has already happened. To me, I mean. But something was different, something went wrong. Donna", she added. "She wasn't there. And the Doctor... he died."

A long silence followed her words.

"What?" Pete said. He helped Rose up and gave her a bottle of water. She took it gratefully and took a few long sips. "Tell that to me again. Slowly."

#####

It took several hours for Rose to tell everything that mattered. How she had ended up in the right universe and met the Doctor, told him what was going on, what had happened since, about Donna, what Donna had done, how Donna's part was important. She left out how she had met the Master and what had happened with him, how she and the Doctor had gotten engaged. About the baby, and the miscarriage. None of those things were important to get to know what had happened and what was going on.

"So... You believe that something happened that rewrote the time so Donna never met the Doctor, and he died, and now the whole universe is paying for that?" Pete asked just to make sure.

"Yeah."

"And we need to rewrite the rewritten time to get the original timeline back?"

"Yeah."

"And that we need to make several jumps to that specific universe in a very strict timeline?" Pete confirmed.

"Yeah."

"Why can't we just change back whatever went wrong?"

"Because we don't know what went wrong, and when and why it happened. Besides, it's about Donna. We can't mess with the timelines more than they already have. We need to make the same thing that originally happened, happen again. We need to make Donna understand what's going on, we need her help. And if I know anything about her, I know it's not gonna be easy."

Rose had no idea where all that knowledge came from, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She knew she was right. The Bad Wolf in her told her that with the confidence and the strong feeling of... correctness, for the lack of a better word.

"But how are we gonna do that?" Mickey asked. "I mean, sure, if we had the TARDIS, we could travel through time, but we only have the dimension cannon, and the timelines with that have thrown you all over the multiverse. How can you work that out?"

"Because I have this", Rose said and took out the Doctor's sonic screwdriver. "With this, I can control the settings and handle the timelines far better than with our technology."

"Where'd you get that?" Mickey asked with respect. Rose bit her lip and held her breath for a while.

"It was in the Doctor's hand", she finally said. "I just took it."

It ached. It hurt. But now wasn't the time to let the sorrow and loss to take the control. Besides, it had never happened, not really, and it was just few jumps away to make it right again.

"UNIT must be thrilled", Mickey grinned. "I bet they'd be ready to do just about anything to get their hands into that thing."

"And I'll make sure they won't", Rose ended. "I'm sure they have the TARDIS, though."

"Yeah, but they're not gonna be able to get inside, are they?" Mickey said, still grinning.

There was a long pause.

"Okay", Pete sighed. "What's the first thing we need to do?"

"We need to take care of everything that the Doctor did in the original timeline. Like the hospital", she remembered. "We need to stop that vampire granny from blowing up half of the Earth."

#####

Rose had a plan to do that. She was grateful that the Doctor had told her all about his adventures with Martha, so she knew what they needed to do and when they needed to do it. She only needed help. And she knew exactly who she should go to.

#####

"Sarah Jane", Rose said. The woman looked up from the flower bench she was weeding and turned around. There was amazement in her eyes.

"Rose!" she exclaimed. "You're alive!" she climbed up and rushed to hug her. "How can you be? The War of Canary Wharf... I thought you died."

Rose smiled a bit sadly. "Yeah. Long story. I really don't have time to explain it now. There's something else. Can we sit down?"

"What brings you here?" Sarah Jane asked as she handed Rose her tea cup. She didn't really like to be the one to break the news to Sarah Jane, but no one else could do it for her.

"Remember when you said that if I ever needed to, I could find you?"

"Yes, of course", Sarah Jane said. She seemed to be worried. "What is it? Is the Doctor alright?"

"Actually, no. He's not alright. He's... I'm sorry, but the Doctor is dead."

Rose watched as Sarah Jane came to understand what she had just told her. Tears gathered into the corners of her eyes and Rose knew that if there was anyone in the world to understand how she was feeling, it was this woman.

"But the thing is", Rose she continued quickly, before the emotion would took over, "that he shouldn't be. Someone has been messing with time. The Doctor was meant to meet one particular woman who stopped him in time and saved his life. But the time changed and she never met him. This whole universe is built around that woman. And we are working for a way to break the... the bubble to get the normal, the real, universe back."

Rose told her everything that they knew or thought they knew. Sarah Jane listened carefully.

"What can I do?" she asked when she had ended.

"I need you to save the world", Rose answered.

Sarah Jane laughed a little. "Shouldn't be surprised. So, what's the mission?"

"Have you ever worked with Judoon before?"

#####

It took the whole time Rose had to tell Sarah-Jane what was going to happen and how to stop it. She looked at her watch.

"I have to go now", she said. "Good luck", she stood and got ready for the jump. Then she remembered something. "There's a medical student. Martha Jones is her name. Look her up, she will help you." And she pushed the button.

#####

"Did it go alright?" Mickey asked the moment she returned to Pete's World.

"Yeah. Found her, she's gonna do it", she looked at the dimension cannon at her wrist to check the time. Thirty minutes and she'd be able to jump again. She took the sonic screwdriver from her pocket and pointed it to the device.

"Rose, you can't", Mickey said. "You've already made ten jumps today, including the ones you made before this mess."

"So?" Rose muttered. "We don't have time. I need to get Donna out of London for Christmas."

"I can do that", Mickey insisted. "You've done too many jumps. We can't risk -"

"I'm not starting this argument", Rose interrupted. "We all know it has to be me. It has to be me every time in case Donna's there. She needs to see the same person every time. No, I'm not listening", she held her hand up to stop every coming argument. "I'll do it."

#####

It took a lot of arrangements and a couple more jumps than Rose had anticipated, but she managed to get a raffle ticket to Donna. A winning ticket for two nights at a hotel outside London. When she had made that to happen and was about to leave the building when she saw the news on a big telly on the atrium wall. A hospital missing, and found, and everyone but one died. Rose's breath got stuck in her throat. No. No, no no no.

"There was this woman who took control", the only survivor said. "Said she knew what to do, said she could stop the MRI or something. Sarah Jane, her name was. Sarah Jane Smith."

Rose stepped closer to the tv screen.

"No", she whispered out loud. Tears burnt in her eyes. This was all her fault.  
"Sarah Jane Smith was a freelance investigative journalist, formerly of Metropolitan Magazine. Her body was recovered from the hospital late this afternoon. Miss Smith had a son called Luke, but early reports that Luke also had been inside the Royal Hope, along with his teenage friends Maria Jackson and Clyde Langer. It is feared that they also perished."

Rose dropped to her knees and buried her face to her hands. She started to cry. This was so unfair! The dimension cannon on her wrist made a low sound that told her the half an hour was over and she could return. She pulled her sleeve to hide the gizmo.

"Are you okay?" a young man asked. She dried her eyes.

"Yeah, thanks. Just... I just knew her", she said, pointing at the tv where they showed the picture of Sarah Jane.

"Oh", the man said. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah", Rose muttered. She climbed up, walked out, into an empty alley and pushed the button.

#####

She returned to the Torchwood shaky and half crying. Mickey rushed to her.

"What happened?"

"Sarah Jane", she stuttered. "She's dead."

"What?"

"I sent her there", Rose said. "I told her to go to the hospital. She died. She..." she realised something. "Oh, god, she suffocated."

"No, Rose -"

"She had a son, Micks. A teen-aged son. He was there as well. He and his friends. They all died."

"Sarah Jane knew the risks", Mickey reasoned. "She wouldn't have travelled with the Doctor if she didn't."

"And Martha", Rose added. She felt that she needed to get it all out, every drop of her guilt. "She died too."

"Who's Martha?"

"They're all dead", Rose's voice was hollow.

"Rose", Mickey said firmly and took a hold of Rose's shoulders. "Rose, look at me." Rose turned reluctantly to Mickey. "It's not your fault. You did what you needed to do to save the world. Just like the Doctor would've done. Now we need to work twice as hard in our case to make all this undone. Yeah?"

Rose nodded.

"You're right. Thank you, Micks", she hugged him. "I'm so sorry. The last years... I've been a horrible friend. And I was such an awful girlfriend."

Mickey gave her a very warm grin. He waved her words off.

"Nah, you were alright."

#####

When she went to home that night, she was tired and stressed and near tears. She had wanted to stay at Torchwood and make jumps through the night, but everyone else had argued that she's end up killing herself. Of course none of them knew that she wouldn't be killed off so easily, not anymore, not now that she had time itself running through her veins. But then Pete changed her mind.

"So if you've been gone for several years, you must miss your mum."

Just the thought about seeing her mother again had brought tears into her eyes. Her Mum. She had missed her Mum more than anyone else. Sure, she had seen her a couple of weeks ago, in a hurry and with a lot of tears, but that wasn't the same thing. This was the Mum who had been with her when she had thought she'd never see the Doctor again. So she went home, followed Pete inside the familiar mansion that had been her home some time ago and just yesterday. Jackie came to the hall to welcome them, and Rose rushed to her arms like she hadn't seen her for years.

"Sweetheart", Jackie said surprised as she hugged her back. "What happened?"

"Lots", Rose answered. "I'll tell you later. Just hold me."

#####

Rose did her best to concentrate on her task. She tried not to think of the lost lives, tried to think that there had been nothing she could've done to stop the hospital from being abduckted and the people in there from dying. So she focused on changing things back to what they had been, and that meant she needed to get Donna out of London for Christmas.

"So, you need to make sure she uses that raffle ticket", Pete said about thousandth of time when Rose put the dimension cannon to her wrist.

"Yeah, I know. I have a plan."

"Okay, ready?"

Rose didn't answer, she only pushed the button. Everything turned upside down and her feet hit the ground, she needed to take a copule steps to keep balance. And then she saw Donna.

"Blimey! Are you all right? What was that, fireworks or -"

"I don't know", Rose said ababsentmindedly. She still thought there was something on Donna's back. But how to remove something that didn't exist? "I was just walking along. That's weird."

"You're the one", Donna realised. "Christmas Eve. I met you in town."

Rose didn't know how to respond. She wanted to tell her everything but knew how crazy that would sound. She needed to remember this was the Donna who doubted everything, who kept missing the bigger picture, just like the Doctor had told her she did.

"Hi, Donna", she said.

"What was your name?"

"How're you doing?" Rose asked to avoid giving the answer. In this universe, she was dead. "You're looking good. How's things, what have you been up to?" she didn't look at Donna but behind her.

"You're doing it again", Donna noticed. Rose moved her eyes to meet hers.

"What?"

"Looking behind me. People keep on doing that, looking at my back."

Now that was interesting. Maybe that could help. Maybe that way she could find a solution to all of this.

"What sort of people?"

"People in the street. Strangers. I just catch them sometimes, staring at me. Like they're looking at something. And then I get home, and I look, and there's nothing there", Donna peeked behind her own shoulder and got a bit frustrated. "See? Look, now I'm doing it!"

Rose wanted to calm Donna down, but she really didn't have time for that. She was in a hurry.

"What are you doing for Christmas?" she asked quickly. Donna frowned at her.

"What am I what?"

"Next Christmas. Any plans?"

"I don't know. That's ages away. Nothing much, I suppose. Why?"

"Just, I think you should get out", Rose said slowly. "You and your family. Don't stay in London. Just leave the city."

"What for?"

"Nice hotel Christmas break?" Rose offered.

"Can't afford it", Donna snapped.

"Well, no, you got that raffle ticket", Rose said kindly.

"How do you know about that?" Donna asked. She was brilliant, Rose had to admit, and there was no doubt this was the brilliance the Doctor had seen under Donna's defending cover.

"First prize, luxury weekend break", Rose continued. She looked firmly into Donna's brown eyes. "Use it, Donna Noble."

"Why won't you tell me your name?" Donna asked, and as Rose didn't answer, she asked her to leave her alone and turned to leave. She did. She walked slowly through streets and noticed she was heading home, to the Powell Estates, and quickly changed her mind. She sat down and waited for her chance to make the jump back.

#####

She had a dream. She saw Donna standing on a hilltop, looking for the dark night sky where the starts were burning out one by one. She turned around and looked at Rose.

"I'm ready."

The dream changed. There were cars lining up. A blue car changed the blink from left to right.

The dream changed again. Donna was running. She needed to get somewhere but there was too little time. Then she suddenly stopped.

"You're going to die", Rose heard hersalf say. And Donna stepped to the road and was hit by a truck.

Once again, the dream changed. There were signs pointing to the left everywhere. Donna was laying on the road, dying. Donna dying. Turn left. And everything melted into a golden mist. And she woke up, puzzled, but knowing there was a deeper meaning in those dreams, that the Bad Wolf tried to show her just what to do.

#####

"I think I need to go to UNIT", Rose said. "We need to make sure things work when we get Donna to realise she's the key to all of this."

"Doesn't UNIT consider you as dead?" Mickey asked.

"Well, I don't have to give them my name", Rose said brightly. "They're the only ones with the knowledge and equipment to work with. We need to build a time machine."

Silence. Nobody said anything, but Rose could see the looks they exchanged.

"What?" Rose said. "I'm sure they have the TARDIS somewhere in the storage. The Doctor is dead but there must be some power of it left. Otherwise I would..." she bit her tongue. This wasn't the time nor the place to tell them about her connection with that glorious blue box. If the idea scared the hell out of her, she didn't want to know how the others would react. "We just need to capture it somehow. I think I could ask her to work with us..."

"You could ask a machine to work with you?" Pete asked eyebrows up.

"The TARDIS is a sentient being. I've had conversations with her before", Rose said.

"Okay", Pete sighed. "UNIT it is."

#####

The sonic screwdriver was the biggest help she could have, but she still missed her psychic paper. That would've helped her through many doors that she now needed to sneak into during the night. But the moment she got into the building, she could feel it so clearly it was like someone was whispering into her ear. She stopped and looked around her even though she knew she was alone. Then it wasn't as much of a feeling any more than a word, an echo, someone calling for her. But not with her name and not with a voice. Rose closed her eyes and concentrated into that feeling. Wolf, it called. And right then Rose understood who was calling for her.

"TARDIS", she whispered. Then she smiled. "Where are you?"

And like someone was leading her, she walked towards the growing feeling of the TARDIS' presence.

She found her way down to the ground floor. The same place she and Martha had gone when the Sontarans had filled the atmosphere with clone feed. Or would fill. Really, talking about wibbly-wobbly... She soniced the door and cracked it open it. The TARDIS was there. Her heart leaped and she felt an intense delight that was partially hers, partially the TARDIS's . She had never felt her feelings so strong. Then Rose noticed that the time machine was guarded by two armed men, which wasn't a surprise but made things a lot harder. Rose snuck in, looked around her and tried to think. What would the Doctor do? She needed to distract the guards, to make them believe that somewhere else in the room was an intruder. To make a sound in the opposite direction. Then her eyes landed on the ceiling lamps, and she had an idea. Pointing the sonic to the lamp on the other side of the hall, she pushed the button. The lamp exploded and the guards jumped, turned and rushed towards the noise. And at the same time Rose spirted cross the room and towards the TARDIS. She snapped her fingers without even thinking, and the doors flew open. One of the guards noticed her.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Hey! You're not allowed to go in there!"

Rose only smiled and closed the door. It was almost pitch-black inside. The TARDIS hummed. The lights were weakly glimmering before they turned off and almost complete darkness fell over Rose again. There was a low glow coming from the console. It was all the power the TARDIS had left.

"Hey, girl", Rose muttered and walked up the ramp, patted the coral gently and laid her hand on the console. "You alright?"

The TARDIS gave her a tired, sad note. The small smile, that finding the TARDIS had brought into Rose's lips, died. "I know", she said. "I miss him too. But I'm working on it", she stroked the console and ran her hand to the lever that the Doctor always pulled to send them on their way. She wished so badly that she could pull it now and sent herself to save the Doctor from his death. "We're gonna need your help", she said to the TARDIS. "You think you can do it?"

The lights flickered again. Rose smiled. "Thanks."

#####

When she stepped out of the TARDIS, half of the UNIT was waiting for her. She stopped looking slightly surprised, and pulled the door shut behind her.

"Hello", she said. "How you've been? Haven't met you for a while."

Mace stepped forward and Rose remembered clearly why she didn't like him.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I need your help."

#####

Rose had expected Mace to be rude, but never like this. She hadn't excepted him to try to throw her into a prison cell. Actually it happened after she had refused to give them her name or the key to the TARDIS.

"The TARDIS' gonna die soon!" Rose snapped as Mace sent other guards to take it from her by force. "And then there's nothing we can do!"

But it didn't help, so Rose ended up using the dimension cannon to escape the cell.

#####

There was one person she could go for help, but she had hoped she wouldn't have to take that option.

#####

Finding Jack wasn't so easy she expected when the only lead she had was Cardiff Bay. She couldn't just walk on the streets asking if they knew where the office of Torchwood Three was. She wished she had asked Jack the names of his friends, but there was nothing she could do about it now. She needed a Jack-detector, something that would sense the abnormality in time. Or she needed to be super lucky and just run into him. She kept walking around Cardiff in hope she would see something abnormal. An alien, perhaps, who she could ask for advice. Nothing. She jumped there several times in all times of the day and her impatience grew. Until one day she finally saw something. Someone walked towards the water feature in front of the Millennium Centre and then, suddenly, disappeared. Rose knew that wasn't a coincidence. She took out the sonic screwdriver and pointed it towards the place where the person had disappeared. She had to change the settings several times, but she finally got it. A perception filter. Without thinking twice, she marched towards the place and found what she was looking for. A lift of some kind. And as she stepped on it, it started to lower. Her heart was stammering with something that she could only call joy. She was about to see Jack. Everything would be fine. Jack could help them.

But when the elevator reached the bottom, she was faced with three people pointing their guns at her. Two men and a woman. She blinked but didn't raise her hands, because her eyes had landed on Jack. He stared at her, then his gun clattered to the floor.

"Rose! Rosie, oh my god, you're alive!"

He rushed to her and pulled her into a fierce hug. Rose buried her face into his shoulder and held back the tears. Jack pulled off and looked at her, waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, long story. I tell you it later. I need your help."

"I heard about the Doctor", Jack said sorrowfully. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah", Rose said and swallowed back the tears." But the thing is, that he isn't. I mean, he shouldn't be. Jack, is there somewhere we can sit down and talk without anyone hearing?"

"My office", he said and hesitated for a moment. "How did you find us?"

"That's a long story as well", Rose only said. She looked around. Torchwood Three was underground, full of technical stuff and looked very different than Rose had expected, including the two people in there, looking at her at least as surprised as she looked at them.

"Rose, this is Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones", Jack introduced. "I would trust them with my life."

"That's not much to say from a man who can't die", she pointed out, and before Jack could ask how she knew about that, she added: "So what about the Doctor's life?"

"Any time", Jack answered without hesitation. Rose looked from Jack to Gwen and Ianto and then back to Jack.

"So, they're your team?"

"Yeah."

"Sorry, who are you?" Gwen asked.

"I'm Rose. Rose Tyler", Rose said.

"Oh", the two of them said. They looked at each other and then Jack.

"We'll all help you with anything we can", Jack said firmly.

"I can't guarantee their safety", Rose said apologetically. "I can't guarantee even your safety, Jack. And that is a lot to say."

Gwen stepped forward. She looked familiar and it took a while until Rose remembered why. Gwyneth. She looked just like Gwyneth.

"So it's dangerous", she more said then asked.

"Yeah", Rose admitted.

"Well, what else is new", Gwen shrugged. "What do you need us to do?"

#####

Rose told Jack everything. Even those things he hadn't told Pete or her Mum. She told him about their engagement and about the baby. She even told him about the Master. Then she told him what she thought was going on and how she had planned to change things back as they were meant to be.

"So, you guys got engaged?" he finally asked.

"Jack!" Rose found herself laughing. Really laughing. Jack grinned too. "You're impossible", she giggled.

"Well, that story was so depressing that I had to pick up the only happy thing about it."

Rose's smile died. Jack looked regretful.

"Sorry."

Rose shrugged it off.

"Anyway, the point is that now that the Doctor isn't here, we need to do his job to keep Earth on it's tracks. There's a couple of things I need to ask you to do. Like blowing up Pompeii."

Jack lifted his eyebrows. "What did you just say?"

"And this one I think you're gonna like", Rose continued, writing all of the things down on a paper. "You can go and flirt with Shakespeare."

"Hold on", Jack said raising his hand up to stop Rose from talking more. "Those things happened in the past. My vortex manipulator is useless, burnt out."

"I have this", Rose said and showed the sonic screwdriver. "And I have the dates. And I have everything you need, I just need you to do them", she looked straight into Jack's eyes. "I wouldn't ask this from you if there was anyone else who could do it."

"Why on Earth would you ask anyone else?" Jack inquired. "I'm the best man for the job."

"But it's dangerous."

"I live a pretty dangerous life myself, Rosie", Jack said. "Besides, I can't die, so that's taken care of."

"But it hurts", Rose whispered. "You told me that dying hurts."

Jack looked confused. "When did I tell you that, exactly?"

"Doesn't matter when or where", Rose said quickly. "I don't want you to get hurt. But I have no other choice."

"I'll do it", Jack said. "Give me the paper and come back in couple of days and I'll tell you my crazy adventures with", he looked at the paper, "Pyroviles and the Carrionites."

Rose smiled a bit. "Okay. Good luck."


	25. Donna to the Rescue

**A/N:** Hello my readers, and sorry for the long pause! I wish you haven't quite given up on me, I am going to write this to the end, even if it takes the rest of my life!

My great sorrow is to inform you that my wonderful beta **KatarinaR** is moving on with her life and this is the last chapter she has helped me with. I also want to inform you that the last two to three chapters (I haven't decided yet) are going to be beta-less, since I really, really, really don't want to go to that path yet again. So try to live with that. At least I believe that me English is better than it was few years back when I started Sound of the Heartbeats. Oh, those times...

Anyway, here's the next chapter! I hope you'll like it!

 **Disclaimer:** Doctor Who still isn't mine.

 **Donna to the Rescue**

It had been less than a week since Rose had been thrown back to Pete's world. Just five days, and they had felt like an eternity. If she had missed back all those years ago when the walls had closed, it was nothing compared to this. But at least now she had a goal, something to take her mind off missing the Doctor. There were so much to do, but it wasn't just doing what the Doctor had done. Rose needed to know what had happened with Donna. She knew it had something to do with turning left, but what exactly, she didn't know.

"It's sounds like the butterfly effect", Jake said. "You know, something seemingly small having a disastrous effect."

"Like what?" Rose asked. She started to grow impatient. There really, really wasn't time for this.

"I don't know. Like taking an earlier train to work, or taking a wrong turn, or dropping your tissue and picking it up."

"Taking a wrong turn", Rose repeated. "That's it. It has to be it!"

"What?"

Mickey and Pete turned to look at them as her voice raised with excitement.

"Taking a wrong turn!" Rose exclaimed. "Donna took a wrong turn. She was meant to turn left, but she didn't. And it changed everything", she stood up and sat down again. "We need to know everything that happened in Donna's life ever since I got trapped here and the Doctor was left alone."

#####

Meanwhile there was another thing to do. Rose needed to contact UNIT again. The Sontaran attack was approaching, and she needed to let them know what to do with it. Her hoped weren't really high on that one, since Mace had refused to listen to the Doctor either, but she had to try. And for that, she needed help from Jack.

"I can't just walk to them", Rose said. "Last time I had just enough time to get away from them before they took the TARDIS key. And they can't have the key, who knows what they'd do for her. She's already so weak."

"I think we can could establish some sort of video connection with them", Jack suggested.

"That sounds good enough. And Jack", she added, "if it doesn't work..."

"You can trust me."

"I know that. I'm just worried. It's Sontarans."

"Oh, you know, when you've fight the Daleks with a shotgun..."

"Not funny."

Jack smiled. "Well then, we better get started."

#####

Rose had been right when she had assumed UNIT wouldn't welcome her advices. The video call had eneded before it really even began, much to her disappointment. She had hoped that Mace had come to his senses since their last meeting, but maybe travelling with the Doctor had taught her to believe in miracles a bit too much. So now that UNIT was out of picture, Rose had to turn to Jack once again.

"I hate this", she said. "I hate that I have to risk your life because of that. But we need to get rid of the gas and the Sontaran ship before they destroy the Earth."

"We can do it", Jack said. "Don't worry."

"I'll worry until this is over."

#####

Rose's feet hit the ground and she took a few steps to keep her balance. The air was disgusting. Her heart ached when she thought what was about to happen to Jack, Gwen and Ianto. Then she heard someone shouting.

"Donna? Where are you going? It's not safe at night. Donna! Donna!"

Rose turned towards the voice and saw Donna to round the corner.

"Hello", she said. So she had learnt, Rose thought, and felt a bit proud of the ginger before her.

"Hi", she answered.

"Who are you?" Donna asked. Rose tilted her head. "Why are you here?"

"To talk to you", she answered.

"About what?"

"Let's go and sit down."

#####

Rose lead Donna to the nearest park, telling her about the cars and what was going on.

"It's the ATMOS devices. We're lucky, it's not so bad here. Britain hasn't got that much petrol. But all over Europe, China, South Africa, they're getting choked by gas", she said sorrowfully. Not only because they were far too late with everything as Mace refused to listen to her, but also because of what it meant.

"Can't anyone stop it?" Donna asked.

"Yeah, they're trying right now, this little band of fighters, on board the Sontaran ship. Any second now..."

Both her and Donna looked up, right as the sky exploded in flames. It burned brightly for a few seconds, and then left it clear and dark again.

"And that was?" Donna asked still looking at the sky.

"That was the Torchwood team", Rose said silently. She thought of the brave people who had risked everything to the cause, to get the Doctor back. "Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, they gave their lives. And Captain Jack Harkness has transported to the Sontaran home world", she paused for less than a second as she realised clearer than ever that she was now completely alone. "There's no one left."

There was a moment of silence. Donna looked at her.

"You're always wearing the same clothes", she observed. "Why won't you tell me your name?" she asked again.

"None of this was meant to happen", Rose told her. "There was a man. This wonderful man, and he stopped it. The Titanic, the Adipose, the ATMOS, he stopped them all from happening", she felt tears gathering to her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't cry. There wasn't time to cry.

"That Doctor?" Donna remembered. Rose turned to look at her. She looked scared and worried and curious and ready to challenge the whole world if someone was trying to tell her lies.

"You knew him", Rose said calmly.

"Did I?" Donna asked doubtfully. "When?"

"I think you dream about him sometimes", Rose told her. "It's a man in a suit. Tall, thin man. Great hair", she smiled to the memory of running her fingers through it. "Some really great hair."

"Who are you?" Donna asked for the third time within half an hour. And for the third Rose refused to answer.

"I was like you", she said. "Before...", she cut off and cleared her throat. "I used to be you. You've travelled with him, Donna. You've travelled with the Doctor in a different world."

There was a silence during which Donna just stared at her.

"I never met him", she argued and Rose knew the changes to make her to come with her came smaller and smaller. "And he's dead."

"He died underneath the Thames on Christmas Eve, but you were meant to be there", Rose said. She tried to keep calm, she tried to reason with Donna, although she knew she wouldn't come with her. Not now. "He needed someone to stop him, and that was you. You made him leave. You saved his life."

For a very brief moment Donna looked like she remembered something. Then she jumped up.

"Stop it. I don't know what you're talking about. Leave me alone!"

Rose stood as well. "Something's coming, Donna. Something worse", she said desperately.

"The whole world is stinking. How can anything be worse than this?"

"Trust me", Rose pealed. "We need the Doctor more than ever. I've... I've been... I'm coming from a different universe, because every single universe is in danger. It's coming, Donna. It's coming from across the stars and nothing can stop it."

"What is?"

Rose looked at Donna and knew that the answer she was going to give her wouldn't help her cause. "The darkness."

"Well, what do you keep telling me for? What am I supposed to do? I'm nothing special. I mean, I'm, I'm not. I'm nothing special. I'm a temp. I'm not even that. I'm nothing!" Donna said loudly. Rose blinked tears from her eyes. When all of this was over, she'd need to tell Donna more often how important and brilliant she was. She had been left behind, even by them, Rose realised. She and the Doctor, they had been worrying about their relationship, and then there had been the baby, and the miscarriage, and Donna had gone through all that with them playing the secondary role in the play that was meant to be about her.

"Donna Noble, you're the most important woman in the whole of creation", Rose's voice sounded choked. This, too, was all her fault. She should've thought more about Donna. When had she become this selfish?

"Oh, don't. Just don't. I'm tired. I'm so tired", Donna said, and she, too, sounded like she was just about to cry.

"I need you to come with me", Rose tried. She knew Donna wouldn't, but she still needed to try.

"Yeah. Well, blonde hair might work on the men, but you ain't shifting me, lady."  
Rose gave half a laugh. Now she could see the Donna who travelled with them on the TARDIS. "That's more like it."

"I've got plenty more", Donna sounded a bit pleased with herself.

"Then you'll come with me, only when you want to", Rose said.

"You'll have a long wait, then."

Then Rose had another vision, stronger and clearer than the ones before. It lasted less then a second, but felt a lot longer. Donna stood on the hilltop, darkened sky above her, and looked down at her. 'I'm ready', and a strong feeling of 'three weeks' with it. And the word 'left'. The view came back and Donna stood on the path and looked ready to argue.

Rose shrugged. "Not really. Just three weeks", she said trusting with all her might that the Bad Wolf was right. "Tell me, does your grandfather still own that telescope?"

Donna frowned worriedly. "He never lets go of it."

"Three weeks time. But you've got to be certain", Rose said firmly. "Because when you come with me, Donna, sorry, so sorry, but you're going to die."

With that, she touched the button on her wrist and prepared for the journey back to Torchwood.

"What did she say?"

"She said no", Rose said. "But I wasn't exactly surprised."

"What now?"

"Next time she'll come with me", Rose guaranteed.

#####

But before the next time there was things she really needed to do. She needed to force Mace to listen to her, because she needed help from UNIT. So she took a deep breath and got ready to walk to the UNIT base to face the man who was her only hope. The first strike came when she heard that Colonel Mace had died in the Sontaran attack. And as little as she had liked the man, Rose still felt the loss. At least she had known him to be a good, if not understanding, man. Now she was lead to meet Captain Erisa Magambo, who she knew nothing about. But there wasn't time to hesitate. They had less than three weeks to get everything ready for Donna. And building a time machine would need all the time they had.

Luckily Magambo listened her readily and didn't question her knowledge of the situation. She said that if there weren't the Doctor, then the next to him was his companion. And right now that was Rose.

"And how exactly do you think we can build a time machine?" she asked after Rose had told her all she needed to know.

"I have a good friend who has promised to help", Rose answered.

"Who?"

Rose took out the TARDIS key and showed it. Magambo stared at it.

"Is that...?"

"Yeah. She's our only way to do this."

"The TARDIS doesn't work", Magambo said immediately.

"How do you know, you can't even get in it."

For a moment they stared at each other, fighting for leadership of the situation. Then Magambo sighed.

"Fine. Show us."

#####

All the experts they could find started to build up a time machine to throw Donna back in time to change things back as they had been. Many of them seemed to question the task. Rose had to admit that she understood their points. To send a civilian who hadn't even promised to help to save the universe just because some random girl who refused to tell her name told them it would work? Yeah, not a great plan.

Rose spend hours in the TARDIS, just trying to convince her as much as herself that it would work. She thought she had most likely given up ages ago if there wasn't the TARDIS, and vice versa. Rose's life depended on the TARDIS, and the TARDIS fought with all her might to keep living for few more days.

#####

Every time Rose returned to Pete's world to give the updates, she looked through her team's notes of Donna's past. She tried to connect the dots, but it wasn't until she looked through her work history for the third time that it clicked. There was one employee lacking. She hadn't been a temp in the organisation where she had met Lance. Instead she had been working in a completely different organisation in a complete different part of London. That had to be it. She sent Mickey and Jake to find out everything about Donna's connections with that place, and when they came up with results of how she had ended up working there and what was the exact date and she had made that decision, and it all came up to one crossroad. It had to be it. Donna had been in that crossroad, and she had turned right instead of left. It was the butterfly effect; it was now their job to make sure Donna chose to turn left.

#####

The day it was meant to happen Rose sent herself to the UNIT warehouse, asked for a car and drove where the Wolf told her to go. Soon enough she stood near the hilltop and saw Donna and Wilf looking at the sky. She started to climb up.

"There's not!" Wilf sounded worried. "It was there. An entire constellation. Look. Look there. They're going out. Oh, my God! Donna, look. The stars are going out."

Donna, somehow sensing her presence, turned.

"I'm ready", she simply said.

Rose gestured her to follow her and they walked slowly to the UNIT car. They drove in complete silence. Donna seemed to be processing what she was doing. Rose tried to figure out how exactly to tell Donna what she needed her to do.

"Are you ever going to tell me who you are?" Donna finally asked. Rose didn't answer. There was a moment of silence.

"I want to know how exactly I'm supposed to help you."

"I'll tell you everything in a moment, Donna. But there's something I need to show you first."

#####

Rose took Donna to UNIT warehouse. They walked in, Donna looking around in awe.

"What's this place?" she asked.

"UNIT", Rose said simply.

"What's 'UNIT'?"

"They take care of extraterrestrial threats on Earth."

"What?"

Rose pushed a door open. They entered a large and rather empty place, where Rose and the UNIT had placed mirrors into a circle, lamps between every mirror, and the TARDIS, with wires coming out from the narrowed door. Magambo came to Rose.

"Ma'am", she said.

"I've told you, don't salute", Rose said.

"Well, if you're not going to tell us your name..." Magambo answered. Rose ignored her and went to see if the setting on the panel were right.

"What, you don't know either?" she heard Donna ask from Magambo.

"I've crossed too many different realities", Rose called from the panel. "Trust me, the wrong word in the wrong place can change an entire causal nexus." If she was being honest, most of the words she said were made up. She knew the idea was true, but she had no idea how to explain it with words, so she just winged it.

"She talks like that. A lot", Magambo told Donna. "And you must be Miss Noble."

"Donna."

"Captain Erisa Magambo. Thank you for this."

"I don't even know what I'm doing", Donna muttered. Rose turned to Magambo.

"The TARDIS?"

"Seems to be quiet today. Ticking over. Like it's waiting."

Rose turned to look at the TARDIS. She couldn't hear her, but she felt a very light and tired nudge. She fought back tears. It was horrible to feel the TARDIS this weak. Rose knew she was fighting for both of them. She turned to look at Donna and smiled a bit sadly.

"Do you want to see it?" she asked and led Donna closer, watched her looking at the ship wearily.

"What's a police box?" she asked.

"They salvaged it from underneath the Thames", Rose said, not really answering at Donna's question. "Just go inside."

"What for?"

Rose smiled again. This had always been the best part, and even now, when the situation was catastrophical, she couldn't wait to see Donna's reaction, since she had missed it in the first time.

"Just go in", she repeated. Donna entered.

"No way!" her voice carried out. Rose grinned, and Donna dashed out, rounded the TARDIS and went back inside and then out again.

"What do you think?" Rose asked, grinning widely. She waited for her to say the words. But she didn't.

"Can I have a coffee?"

#####

"Time And Relative Dimension In Space", Rose said silently. "This room used to shine with light. Now she's dying. I can feel it, she's slowly fading away." She was scared. If this wouldn't work, if Donna wouldn't make it... What would happen to her? Would it be quick? "She's still trying to help."

"And... and it belonged to the Doctor?" Donna asked.

Rose nodded. "He was a Time Lord. Last of his kind."

"But if he was so special, what was he doing with me?"

The question she had been asking about herself as well. Why would the Doctor want to be with any of them, stupid apes, when he had the whole universe to choose a friend from?

"He thought you were brilliant."

"Don't be stupid."

Rose smiled sadly. She had never really realised who low Donna's self-esteem was. "But you are. It just took the Doctor to show you that, simply by being with him. He did the same to me. To everyone he touches."

There was a small pause. Rose stroke the coral and sighed.

"Were you and him...?" Donna started. Rose blinked hard and raised her eyes. She didn't want to talk about that. But her silence was answerenough for Donna, who opened her mouth. Quickly Rose reached out her hand and touched Donna's shoulder, looked the invisible thing on her back and then into Donna's eyes.

"Do you want to see it?"

"No", she said immediately. They looked at each other. Donna swallowed. "Go on, then."

#####

They returned to the circle of mirrors and lights. Rose tried to tell Donna what they were doing, even though she didn't know it exactly either. The technicians had been studying this for years, decades, and though they'd done most of the work here, none of them could guess at the results.

"We don't know how the TARDIS works, but we've managed to scrape off the surface technology, enough to show you the creature", Rose said.

"It's a creature?" Donna asked nervously as Rose led her in the middle of the circle.

"Just stand here", she said gently.

"Out of the circle, please", Magambo ordered. Rose fought against the will to roll her eyes.

"Yes, ma'am."

She walked away and turned to look at Donna from outside the circle.

"Can't you stay with me?" Donna panicked.

"Ready", Magambo called. "And activate."

Donna closed her eyes as the bright lights turned on. And Rose saw it. It looked like a large beetle, hanging on Donna's back, clacking it's mandibles.

"Open your eyes, Donna", Rose said.

"Is it there?" she asked with her eyes squeezed shut.

"Open your eyes. Look at it."

"I can't!"

Rose felt for her. She knew how scared she was, the Donna who hadn't known the Doctor, the Donna who had been pulled into this against her will. She wished she could go and stand next to her, to hold her hand to make this even a little bit easier for her.

"It's part of you, Donna. Look."

She opened her eyes, caught sight of the creature. And immediately started to panic. She turned around and around like to trying to see it another way than through the mirrors.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay", Rose tried to help her from the distance. "Calm down, Donna. Donna? Donna!" she shouted and Donna finally turned to look at her. "Okay."

"What is it?" Donna whimpered. Not her favourite question.

"We don't know", she had to admit.

"Oh, thanks", Donna snapped.

"It feeds off time, by changing time", Rose said quickly to prove that they weren't completely lost. "By making someone's life take a different turn, like.. er... meetings never made, children never born, a life never loved", she paused. "But with you, it's..."

"But I never did anything important!" Donna argued.

"Yeah, you did. One day that thing made you turn right instead of left."

"When was that?" Donna frowned. To her it seemed so little, so like nothing at all. Something that had happened so long time ago and changed so little and so, so much.

"Oh, you wouldn't remember. It was the most ordinary day in the world. But by turning right, you never met the Doctor, and the whole world just changed around you."

"Can you get rid of it?" Donna asked, glimpsing the thing from the mirror again.

"No, I can't even touch it. It seems to be in a state of flux", Rose said seriously.

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know. It's the sort of thing the Doctor would say", Rose answered with half of a laugh. But Donna wasn't amused. She was so scared that she was furious.

"You liar! You told me I was special. But it's not me, it's this thing. I'm just a host!" she shouted.

"No, there's more than that. It's all about you. It's like reality's just bending round you."

"Because of this thing!" Donna panicked.

"No, no!" Rose argued, trying to get Donna to understand. "We're getting separate readings from you. And they've always been there, since the day you were born."

"This is not relevant to the mission", Magambo said firmly. But Rose didn't care. Donna needed to understand. She needed to know how important she was to the whole of reality.

"I thought it was just the Doctor we needed, but it's the both of you. The Doctor and Donna Noble, together, to stop the stars from going out."

"Why? What can I do?" Donna was near tears. She took a shaky breath. "Turn it off, please", she asked.

"Captain", Rose said immediately.

Magambo nodded. "Power down."

The lights went off and the creature disappeared. Donna looked like breaking down. Rose went to her and laid her hand on her shoulder.

"It's still there, though. What can I do to get rid of it?" Donna asked.

Rose smiled a bit. She knew how impossible her words would sound.

"You're going to travel in time."

#####

They helped her into the jacket that the experts had built. There were lots of wires Rose didn't know the use of. This was all a bit like when they had to build and rebuild the dimension cannon. But dimension cannon wasn't made for time travelling. Rose had tried it, once or twice, but she had been always thrown back to Pete's World. So she had accepted that she had to go through the other universe before jumping back to her own. It was all so complicated that Rose didn't understand how it worked, but the main thing was that it did.

"The TARDIS has tracked down the moment of intervention", Rose told Donna as they made the last preparations. "Monday the twenty fifth, one minute past ten in the morning. Your car was on Little Sutton Street leading to the Ealing Road, but you turned right heading towards Griffin's Parade. You need to turn left. That's the most important thing. You've got to go back, turn left. Have you got that, Donna? One minute past ten, make yourself turn left, heading for the Chiswick Highroad."

Donna needed to get it, she needed to remember that her turning left was the most important thing there was. That everything depended on her turning left.

"Keep the jacket on at all times. It's insulation against temporal feedback. This will correspond to local time wherever you land", Magambo said as one of the experts put a watch on Donna's wrist. Magambo handed her a glass of water. "This is to combat dehydration."  
Because, truly, none of them was sure this would work. Rose was probably the one that trusted it the most, because she trusted the TARDIS. She wouldn't fail them. They went back inside the circle that the mirrors formed. Rose took Donna's hands into hers and smiled.

"This is where we leave you."

"I don't want to see that thing on my back", Donna said quickly, looking nervous.

"No, the mirrors are just incidental. They bounce chronon energy back into the centre which we control and decide the destination", Rose mostly just repeated words that she had heard the technicians building the machine had used because she thought that maybe it would somehow make things easier for Donna. For a moment Donna just stared at her. She smiled reassuringly.

"It's a time machine", Donna said slowly.

"It's a time machine", Rose nodded. She felt like saying something more, so she squeezed her hands. "I trust you, Donna. You're brilliant, don't forget that, yeah?"

Donna opened her mouth like to argue, but Magambo interrupted them.

"If you could?" she sounded a bit irritated. Donna went to her place and Rose left the circle and went to the TARDIS, stroke her side to give her courage.

"Powering up", Magambo said. Donna turned to look at Rose. She was pale and shaky.

"How do you know it's going to work?"

She had hoped Donna wouldn't ask that.

"Hmm?" for a second she thought that she'd lie. But then again, it was better that she'd be prepared for the worst. "Oh yeah, we, we don't. We're just, we're just guessing."

"Oh, brilliant", Donna mumbled.

"Just remember, when you get to the junction, change the car's direction by one minute past ten", Rose said to turn her thoughts to something else.

"How do I do that?" Donna asked.

Rose felt a sting of guilt and swallowed. It was for the better that she didn't tell her, right? She'd never do this if she'd know.

"It's up to you."

"Well, I just have to run up to myself and have a good argument!" Donna said. She sounded so scared that Rose had to force herself not to run to her and hold her hand through it all.

"I'd like to see that!" she smiled.

"Activate lodestone", Magambo said.

"Good luck", Rose said quickly.

"I'm ready", Donna said.

"One minute past ten", Rose said once again.

"Because I understand now", Donna continued, a smile forming into her face. "You said I was going to die, but you mean this whole world is going to blink out of existence. But that's not dying, because a better world takes its place. The Doctor's world. And I'm still alive. That's right, isn't it? I don't die. If I change things, I don't die. That's right, isn't it?"

There was a part of truth in Donna's words. Because she wouldn't die, the real her, the one in the original timeline, the original universe. But this her...

"I'm sorry", she whispered.

"But I can't die. I've got a future. With the Doctor", Donna's voice started to raise. "You told me!" she screamed. Rose closed her eyes and breathed in and out. The TARDIS was ready, she felt her tug her mind, and she nodded to Magambo.

"Activate!"

It was like an explosion. There were sparks flying from the cables as the TARDIS gave her everything. And Donna disappeared. Rose looked around.

"Is everyone alright?" Magambos voice asked. Rose felt dizzy. The TARDIS whimpered and Rose felt her touch in her mind to weaken.

"No", she whispered. "No, please, don't. Just a few more minutes."

Her legs betrayed and she took support from the TARDIS, stumbled inside. She heard steps and someone opened the door.

"Don't come in", she managed to say. It came harder and harder to breathe, like the air was sucked out around her. "Leave me alone."

The only light that the TARDIS had, in the console, was fading. Rose blinked. It went blurry, clear and blurry again. She felt a really faint touch in her mind, like a goodbye, someone asking for forgiveness. And she -


End file.
